


Daddy Material

by Catwoman96



Category: K-pop, Produce 101 (TV), VICTON (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Interracial Relationship, Male-Female Friendship, Pregnancy, Unplanned Pregnancy, ambw
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-16
Updated: 2019-10-28
Packaged: 2020-06-26 04:09:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 27
Words: 65,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19760290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Catwoman96/pseuds/Catwoman96
Summary: Zafirah Hughes was living her life as a woman in her 20s. She had an amazing job and a great boyfriend, everything was perfect. Until she gets pregnant, her boyfriend breaks up with her, and she has been pushed out of her company by her rival. Suddenly she’s pregnant, single, and unemployed. But her best friend Seungwoo won’t let her life turn to complete trash.





	1. Not the Test I Wanted to Ace

I kept looking down at the blue and white stick in my hands because there was no way it could say that. It just needed a little more time to process so the results can be correct. That’s what I had been telling myself for 15 minutes and the damn stick still did not change.

**Pregnant**

I was clearly in denial. I mean I was on birth control and took that shit religiously and Devante didn’t come anywhere near me if he didn’t have a condom on. So how in the hell did I get pregnant? I was supposed to be in the 99% effective rate, not the 1%.

“Baby? You okay?”

Oh, shit I had to tell Devante that his ass was going to be a father.

I took a deep breath before I stood up. I had to do it now or I would lose my nerve. Usually being a little bitch was not my cup of tea but there’s something about a positive pregnancy test that changes your perspective. Like having to tell your boyfriend that a bun is in the oven when the two of you have never discussed having kids.

I opened the door to come face to face with Devante. His usual boyish grin was replaced with worry. Well here goes nothing. “I’m pregnant.”

“Is it mine?”

Had this nigga lost his fucking mind? Did he really ask me that? My ass had to have been hallucinating, it was the only way this could be explained. The entire four years I was with this negro, I only slept with one person. Him.

I couldn’t stop myself from lashing out. “Nigga are you dumb? Who the fuck else’s would it be?”

“I’m sorry baby,” Devante apologized. He put his hands around my waist, and I rolled my eyes. “I didn’t mean it. I’m just surprised. So, what are you gonna do?”

I put my arms around his neck. I could never stay mad at him and he knew it. “I am going to work. Now that a baby is on the way, I definitely need to start preparing financially.” I kissed his soft lips before pulling away with a giggle. His hands had fallen to my ass and he kept squeezing it. “Love you.”

He let go of me, but still landed a slap to my cheeks when I walked away. “Love you too baby.”

I should have known something in the milk wasn’t clean. My auntie has this saying, “If he’s calling you by pet names, it’s because he doesn’t want to mix up your names.” I should have listened to my auntie.

“Good morning Ms. Hughes, please have a seat.”

Those are never good words to hear when HR calls you in first thing in the morning. I sat down in the hard-plastic chair opposite of Mrs. Morris’s desk, crossing my leg over my knee. My hands laced together and rested on my knee as I waited for the inevitably bad news.

“I believe congratulations are in order,” she told me, smiling widely. Judging by how it didn’t reach her eyes, her smile was about as real as the body of a Kardashian.

I tried to match her smile, but I knew my face was betraying me. Damn my inability to have a poker face and hide my emotions. “Congratulations for what?”

“Your pregnancy of course!”

Any semblance of a smile dropped from my face and I was left with my mouth hanging slightly open. My ass just found out this morning and I haven’t even been able to pick up a phone to call my doctor. How the hell does this bitch know? Was my apartment bugged?

She didn’t even wait for me to respond before she launched into her speech. “We are so happy that you have decided to expand your family and of course we offer nothing but support. Of course, due to the high stress nature of your job, we thought it best to amend your position and hand your docket over to Wren. We would not want anything to negatively impact your health during this delicate period.”

“How did you even find out?” I questioned. “I didn’t know myself until two hours ago so how do you know?”

“Wren sent out an email this morning dear.”

It took me a minute to understand what she was saying, but I got the gist. Amending my position? Handing my docket over to Wren? “You’re pushing me out.”

The fake smile never left Mrs. Morris’s face as she shook her head. “No dear. We are simply making sure you are comfortable as you transition to this new stage in your life.”

“Bullshit,” I called, and the smile finally left her lips. “You did the same thing to Martha two years ago. You ‘amended her position’ and when she went on maternity leave, she never came back. How about I save you the trouble. I quit.”

There was no reason to stay and listen to another one of her rehearsed speeches. I peeped game the moment I started here. This place was full of snakes and vultures waiting to stab you as soon as you turned your back to them. And I knew just the slimy reptilian bitch who plunged her dagger.

Who was sitting pretty in my office at my desk. Unlike Mrs. Morris, Wren’s smile did meet her eyes and it was the most vindictive, satisfied thing I had ever seen. Her legs were crossed at the knee and her arms crossed over her chest.

“Congrats ZZ!” she said with fake enthusiasm. My jaw clenched at that stupid nickname she insisted on calling me. “I heard from a little bird that you have a bun in the oven.”

_If you hit her, you go to jail. If you hit her, you go to jail._

“Thanks Robin,” I said with equally fake enthusiasm. Her smile faltered just a little and felt a little bit better. “And thanks for telling everybody.”

“My pleasure. Just wanted everyone to be aware so we can pitch in. You know we love to take care of our own,” she said.

I walked over and slammed my hands down on the desk, a spark of satisfaction going through me when she slightly flinched. “Cut the crap Raven, we both know you’ve been trying to take my job the minute I walked through those doors.” Seeing her eyes narrow and her lips thin out in anger gave her away.

I backed away and grabbed my bag, putting it over my shoulder. “Good news for you, I quit. But know this, you’ll never be able to do what I do. And they’ll see that. Have a nice life Blue jay.”

Was I now unemployed? Yes, I was. But I could find another job. A bitch graduated from Stanford at the top of her class. Mumford was nothing, just a steppingstone on the way to greatness. I’m not pressed.

I didn’t even go home after my resignation. I thought it would be a better idea to be productive and start looking at baby stuff. Shit, we’re not even 24 hours in and instead of looking at a new pair of Louboutins, I’m looking at onesies. This pregnancy shit will have you soft man.

By the time I decided it was time for me to get back, the sun had set, and the sky was black.

I pulled up to my house and the additional car in the driveway already had me weary. Devante standing at the door with a suitcase made me even more nervous. The fact that it was my suitcase made me feel like I had entered the twilight zone. Please be a surprise vacation. Please be a surprise vacation.

“Baby? What’s going on?” I asked. I reached up to kiss him and he turned his head, my lips barely brushed his cheek. What the hell?

“I’m not ready for a baby,” he told me point blank. “We gotta break up.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” I asked. “You think I’m ready for a baby either nigga? You think I planned this shit? I had to quit my job because of this!” Needless to say, I was pissed. Was this nigga for real? “And what the fuck is this?” I pointed to what was clearly my suitcase.

“I packed all of your stuff up for you,” he said which couldn’t be true because I had way more shit than what could fit in ONE suitcase. “You can’t stay here.”

Judging by the lump in my throat and how blurry this bitch was, my angry tears had started. The last thing I wanted to do was cry in front of him. Motherfucker would probably think he broke my heart or some shit. “So, where the fuck am I supposed to go? I pay bills here too! What the fuck is going on?”

“Baby.” Oh hell no. My eyes need to be playing a trick on me or did I see a trick in my silk robe? “What’s taking so long?” Wren draped herself over Devante, leaning her head on his shoulder as her arms wrapped around him.

Devante knew he had been caught. “Yo get the fuck back inside.” Wren made no motion to move and if Devante weren’t in between us, I would have handed her her ass like she needed. I could probably push past him; nigga was built like a tickle me Elmo.

“You been fucking this bitch!?” I shouted. “That’s why you kicking me out? Because of her Big Bird ass?”

“Who are you calling Big Bird?” she spat.

“You, Pelican! Do I need to throw some bird seed at you because you stay hungry for attention!” _Good one Zafirah_. Devante finally had enough and pushed Wren back inside the house. “Hope you like my robe! This nigga peed on it when he was drunk, and I never washed it!” Actual true story. That thing had been sitting in the bathroom for a reason. I just forgot to throw it away.

“Yo shut the fuck up!” Devante yelled at me and I took a step back. He had never talked to me like that before. “We’re fucking done! Give me my keys!” I was so stunned I handed over my key ring without a word. He snatched it from my hand, and I couldn’t stop my flinch. “Get your shit and go!”

“What about the rest of my stuff?” Shit I was crying. If there was something I do not do, it is cry over some damn dick.

But my question was completely fucking valid. Where was the rest of my stuff? I lived in this damn house for 3 years. 3 years does not fit into one suitcase. I may look and sound pathetic right now, but that didn’t mean that my stuff wasn’t my stuff.

“I’m trying to be nice and let you come pick it up when you got a car,” he said in a tone that wasn’t that nice. He pushed the light blue suitcase to me and slammed the door, effectively leaving me on the doorstep. And if what just happened wasn’t already fucked up, those motherfuckers turned off the porchlight.

I was now unemployed, homeless, single, and pregnant. And it still hadn’t even been a full 24 hours since I found out I was carrying that dumbass’s seed. That’s a lot of shit to process at once.

Not knowing what else to do, I pulled out my phone and called the first person who came to mind. I called my best friend. The call was barely a ring in when he picked up. “Hey Zafirah, what’s up?” Judging by the loud sounds in the background, he was out somewhere.

“Seungwoo,” I couldn’t keep the waver from my voice or the sniffle. God I was so pathetic. “Can you come get me?”

“Are you okay?” he asked, worry coloring his voice.

A sob escaped. “No. I’m at the house. Please come get me.”

“On my way.”

I don’t even think I was sitting on that curb for 10 minutes before a sleek black BMW pulled up next to me and a tall Korean man got out. “Zafirah? Why are you sitting out here?” I stood up and grabbed the handle of my suitcase. His eyes went to my hand before training on my face and I knew he could see my tear streaked cheeks and red, puffy eyes.

“Can we just go?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

That was all he needed to hear before he opened the passenger door for me and took my suitcase to the trunk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looks like Zafirah is in a little trouble here. Thoughts on her next steps? Do you think Devante was justified or should Zafirah go apeshit?


	2. New Roommate(s)

When your best friend calls you crying to come pick them up, what do you do? You say goodbye to the unwanted date your parents set you up on and run through almost every red light to get to them.

I was pretty damn lucky that I didn’t die on the way there.

We spent the ride to my apartment in silence. It was broken every so often by a sniffle from Zafirah.

I grabbed two beers out of my fridge and opened them, placing one on the coffee table in front of Zafirah. She was sitting cross legged on the couch with my fluffy black blanket laying across her lap. She made no move to grab the beer.

“What happened?” I asked again, hoping she would answer this time.

Zafirah took a shaky breath and pulled the blanket up to her chest, still looking at the floor. “Devante kicked me out.”

What? Did I hear her correctly? That bum ass loser who was lucky to even talk to my best friend kicked her out of their house. That’s why she had a suitcase. This better be some twisted joke he put together for a giant fucking gesture of love. Kicked her out?

“He was cheating on me with that ostrich-built ass bitch Wren,” she continued.

My blood was already boiling but when she told me that, it was officially on fire. I had already heard all about the bitch that was Wren. She had the right name because her ass really was a bird.

“What the hell!” I couldn’t stay quiet any longer. “I never liked that motherfucker. He looked like a sneaky ass dog from the second I met him.” I was pacing around the living room at this point. “I’m gonna beat his ass.”

“Seungwoo no,” she said. “Please sit down.”

I kept pacing around until Zafirah grabbed my hand and pulled me to sit down next to her. She kept my hand between hers and started massaging it. “Did you at least do it? Please tell me you at least slapped him or that hoe.” She shook her head. I have to be in the twilight zone. Maybe I wasn’t as lucky breaking traffic laws as I thought. Maybe I got hit by another car and now I’m in a coma. Maybe I got knocked into an alternate universe because there is no way MY Zafirah wouldn’t have immediately started throwing hands. “Why not?”

“I’m pregnant.”

What?

I stood up slowly and went straight to the kitchen, pulling out two more beers. I returned to the living room and my spot right next to Zafirah.

“You know I can’t drink that,” she pointed to the second beer I put on the table next to her untouched one.

“It’s for me,” I told her, drinking the beer in my hand in one shot before reaching to grab the one already opened on the table. “You’re pregnant?”

She cracked a slight smile, making me feel a little better. It was the first smile she made since I picked her up. “I took a test this morning. Remember how I told you I felt off and my period was late?” I nodded. “Well I was talking to Quanetta and she said I sounded like I was pregnant. So, I bought a test and it was positive. But maybe it was wrong.”

There was a glimmer of hope in her eyes at the possibility that she wasn’t actually pregnant.

“Well first thing we’re doing in the morning is going to the doctor then to get the rest of your shit,” I told her.

“Where am I even going to stay?” she asked.

I knew I was looking at her like she was crazy. Did she really just ask me that question? I’m not bitch ass Devante. I don’t just put people out on the streets like they’re trash. “Here! With me!”

“I couldn’t,” she started to reject.

“You can and you will. I’m not letting you stress yourself out with finding a new place to live. You’re staying here,” I cut her off. “I’m using my best friend veto right now.” Zafirah groaned in defeat.

The best friend veto was something we came up with in college. Each year we both get one chance to veto the other’s decision and do what we want. Zafirah already used her veto when I thought about getting a mullet. Long story short I still do not have a mullet.

She started to pout, and I reached over to squeeze her to my chest. There was no hesitation in her hugging me back and nuzzling her nose into my shirt. My hand came up to rest on her head, petting her soft black curls.

“You’re wearing your good cologne,” she said though the sound was muffled by my chest. “What were you doing tonight?”

“I had a date,” I sighed. A date that I had abruptly left at a very expensive restaurant that needs you to make reservations months in advance. At least I left enough money to cover the bill.

Zafirah pulled away and wiped her face. “Oh god. Seungwoo, I’m sorry. If I would have known, I would have called Quanetta or my dad.”

I shushed her and pulled her right back into the hug. I maneuvered her so that she was sitting sideways in my lap and her head settled into the groove of my neck. “I didn’t want to be on that date anyway. She spent 30 minutes telling me about her Brazilian Butt Lift and how she had almost no fat anywhere else on her body.”

Zafirah groaned and laughed at the same time. “Except maybe her head. Not to be shady but how did you meet her? I barely know the girl and I know she’s not your type.”

My best friend would not be wrong. The girl, I’m pretty sure her name was Bethany, was pretty and her body was amazing, but she was vapid. All she cared about was looks judging based on how she checked herself out in every reflective surface within view and her ability to turn every topic of conversation back to her many plastic surgeries.

“My parents set us up,” I told her.

“And where did they find her? On the explore page of Instagram?” she snorted.

I chuckled. “To be honest, I think she said she was an influencer.”

“No!” Zafirah was full out laughing, snorting every three seconds. I couldn’t help but join her in the laughter.

“Seungwoo, you’re not even the one who might be pregnant. Sit your ass down,” Zafirah ordered. It’s safe to say my pacing had annoyed her, but I couldn’t help it. We’re finding out once and for all if she’s really pregnant. This shit is serious. How is she so calm right now?

I wasn’t even sitting down for a full minute when the doctor came back in and I shot right back up.

“We got the results back Ms. Hughes,” he said looking at the clipboard in his hand and pausing for a second. Was this really the time for a dramatic pause? “You are pregnant.”

She’s pregnant. She’s actually pregnant. She’s gonna have a baby.

The tug on my sleeve brought me out of my thoughts and I turned to Zafirah. She looked scared and I felt my heart break a little. I knew exactly what she was thinking. How was she going to do this all by herself? I put my arm around her and let her rest against my side. It would be a cold day in hell before I even let her consider going through this alone.

I looked back up at the doctor who was respectfully letting us have our moment. “So, what’s our next step?”

Zafirah stiffened next to me and I looked back down at her. Her eyes were wide with unanswered questions. I leaned down and placed a kiss on her head before smiling at her. I could see the tears start to collect in the corners of her brown eyes.

We’re gonna have a baby.

After a long conversation about the generic dos and don’ts and far too many brochures than was safe for the environment, we were back in my car. Neither of us said anything, the tension so thick it could be cut with a knife.

Could you really blame us though? We just had the biggest bomb dropped on us. I mean yeah, she took a test yesterday that came up positive but actually hearing it from the mouth of a doctor was a whole other level. It was like a cold bucket of ice water had been poured over the both of us. We were shocked, scared, and in need of comfort that a warm blanket could provide.

“I’m pregnant,” Zafirah finally said. “I’m gonna be a single mother. I’m literally the walking example of a stereotype.” The whine in her voice was something I was not used to. I could literally count on one hand how many times I had witnessed Zafirah cry and that amount had almost doubled in one night. “I’m somebody’s baby mama!”

“Well at least you know who?” I offered.

All it got me was a louder whine. “I’m that dumb nigga Devante’s baby mama!” Okay maybe that wasn’t very helpful. I would cry to if I was impregnated by that idiot. What could I say that was positive about this?

“You have a good job at least?” I said weakly. _Really Seungwoo? That was all you could come up with? How about telling her how beautiful she is or how amazing and smart she is?_

“No, I don’t because I quit my job!”

“What!?” In my defense, I didn’t mean to yell. The new information put forth was just a little unexpected. “What do you mean you quit your job!?”

“Stop yelling at me!” Oh god, Zafirah was in full on tears now. Her hysterical crying face had to be the ugliest I had ever seen her, and I’ve known this girl since high school. It was all wrinkly and scrunched up like a baby’s face in the middle of a meltdown. _Focus Seungwoo! This is serious!_

I reached over to wipe at her tears and pulled her head to lean on my shoulder in the most awkward way possible due to the console between us. “I’m sorry. It’s okay.”

She sniffed and rubbed at her eyes. “That bitch Cockatoo told everyone I was pregnant, and they already started their process of pushing me out. I didn’t want to deal with that, so I just quit.”

“How did she know you were pregnant?” I asked. I just found out last night and I’m Zafirah’s best friend. How did the bird know before me?

“Bitch ass Devante probably ran to her as soon as I told him.” Zafirah had calmed down by now judging by how she spat his name out instead of whined it. I, on the other hand, had the opposite reaction.

“That bitch knows you’re pregnant!?” I was starting to see red at this point. If this was going where I think it was going, I was going to murder that son of a bitch. Father of Zafirah’s baby or not, he had to go. She nodded slowly and I peeled out of that hospital parking lot.

Your girlfriend of several years tells you she is pregnant, and you kick her out with nothing but a suitcase? Devante always had the vibe of a bitch and now he’s proved it. We never really got along but I was cordial out of respect for my best friend who for some reason loved the bastard. But now that they’re broken up? I’m going to break his face with my fists.

“Where are we going?” Zafirah asked.

“To get your shit.”


	3. I Don't Need the TV

So, having an emotional breakdown in the passenger seat of my best friend’s car was not a shining moment in our friendship or my life in general. And I had no reasoning to justify it with. It’s not like I was heartbroken over that waste of time, space, and air Devante. A bitch knew we were not going to last. He had too much of that light-skinned nigga attitude and mentality. Son of a bitch thought he was god’s gift to women.

Was I upset that I was perpetuating a classic Black woman stereotype? Fuck yes! Still it wasn’t something to cry over. Being unemployed, single, and pregnant was the furthest from ideal and very overwhelming, but it didn’t constitute crying.

I’m a fucking mess. A fucking hot ass mess that is going to see her ex not even a full day after he dumped her. What is my life?

I looked at Seungwoo who was gripping the steering wheel so hard his knuckles had turned white. His jaw was clenched, and he was deathly quiet. He hadn’t said a word after declaring that we were going to get my things. The last time I saw him this mad was when his older sister’s prom date was caught in the janitor’s closet with his pants down and the prom queen on her knees. He beat that dude black and blue. Boy was a whole other race by the time Seungwoo was done.

 _Remember how hot he looked?_ Not the time inner thoughts, stay focused. Seungwoo was really about to pull up on my ex-boyfriend.

Don’t be mistaken, I fight niggas. I am scared of no one but my mama. Being in the state that I am though, creating and carrying another life, these hands have to be placed on a temporary hiatus. If not for that, I would have laid him and Tweety out the second I found out what the fuck was going on.

But Seungwoo about to fight on my behalf? I was equally touched and worried, but not worried for what you might think. Pigs would have to be flying for there to be even a glimmer of hope that Devante could last more than 2 seconds against Seungwoo. Devante was bitch made through and through, he couldn’t fight a 3 year old with its hands behind its back.

This was my fight though, not Seungwoo’s. I didn’t want him to do anything stupid because of me.

Damn I’m pregnant for a day and your girl is already wiser.

We rode to my old house (damn that is weird to say) in silence. I didn’t know what to say that would make this shitty situation any better or change Seungwoo’s mind. Once he was set on something, it would take an act of God, or best friend veto, to get him to change his mind.

My best friend veto had already been used to stop him from cutting his hair into a mullet. I have no regrets and I would not change anything. His ass would be fully disowned if he got that hideous excuse for a hairstyle. I already got to deal with his hair forever covering his eyes. How he sees is beyond me.

All I could do was ride along and hopefully stop him from beating the living hell out of Devante. I couldn’t promise that Seungwoo wouldn’t get a least one good lick in first.

We pulled up to the house and I took a good look at it. Now that I don’t live there, I can admit that I hated that house. It was a bungalow that had been painted this horrendous shade of green that always made me think of dried up vomit. The yard was always in state of disrepair because no matter how much I talked to that diddy dumb dumb he wouldn’t do shit. I attempted the upkeep myself and even tried a little flower bed in front of the porch. All that showed was overgrown weeds and a patch of dried up dirt.

Seungwoo was out of the car before I could even get my seatbelt off.

“Oh shit,” I cursed, running after him. You could probably hear his banging on the front door a few blocks away. Any more strength and he would knock the door down. “Seungwoo no!”

Devante took that moment to open the door and I swear what happened next was in slow motion. Seungwoo brought his arm back and Devante went from confusion to pure fear before Seungwoo’s fist connected with his face. Bitch.

He must have felt that punch through his entire body because the way his legs crumpled underneath him…

I grabbed onto Seungwoo’s waist before he could get another hit in and tried to pull him back. My face was pressed to his back and I could feel the tension. “Don’t do it Seungwoo. He’s not worth it.”

“His bitch ass has been asking for this ass whooping,” Seungwoo growled out and I saw Devante try to scramble back, one hand holding his face.

“Let’s just get my stuff and go home,” I begged. “Please.” I felt some of the tension leave his body as he straightened back up. Thank god that worked. I was mainly going on hope and a prayer with that one.

“Where’s her stuff?” I let go of Seungwoo to look at Devante. This nigga was crying, I mean tears just pouring out. And I was with this little bitch for four years? Damn rose colored glasses sure are a bitch. I needed to throw them things away four years ago.

He pointed to the living room and Seungwoo stepped over him. I glared down at Devante with my arms crossed. He had the nerve to respond back with a stank look and his lip pulled back in a snarl. I bucked at him and he flinched back. “Pussy ass bitch,” I spat at him before sucking my teeth and stepping over him as well.

There were a few cardboard boxes piled up along the wall. My entire life had been condensed into a handful of cardboard boxes. Seeing that felt like I had been hit with a dose of reality. I thought I was building a life here and there was a point in time where I thought Devante would be a part of it.

“You okay?” Seungwoo asked me. He was watching me carefully, waiting for my next move. I nodded. “I’ll grab this stuff. Maybe you should wait in the car.”

As tempting as it sounded to wait in the air-conditioned car, I couldn’t do that. “Nah, you might actually kill that fool.” Seungwoo didn’t even try to deny it. He just chuckled and grabbed a box.

It didn’t take long for him to finish moving all of the boxes out to the car. He picked up the last box and I was about to follow him out when I looked out the corner of my eye to the TV in the living room. It was a 60-inch flat screen smart tv and it cost a pretty penny. I should know because I bought it.

The thing wasn’t even unplugged meaning Devante had decided that he would keep it. I could take it because again I bought it and spent a small fortune on it with no help from that idiot. But I didn’t need it, Seungwoo already had a gigantic tv in his apartment. I didn’t really want to put it in storage either and there was no I could think of giving it to.

The light tan of ash wood caught my eye from the box Seungwoo was carrying. “Wait.” He stopped and I marched over to him, picking my trusty baseball bat up and out of the box. Immediately he smirked and I knew he knew what was about to happen.

He gave me some room and I swung that bat like I was about to hit one out of the park, only the baseball was the tv. And I most definitely hit that one out of the park if the loud crash and decimated screen were anything to go by.

“What the fuck Zafirah!” Devante screamed, running in and looking at his precious tv. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” He stepped up to me and my bat immediately pointed at his face. He stood frozen in his spot, glaring at me.

“Be happy it wasn’t your head,” I told him. I turned to Seungwoo who had nothing but pride in his eyes and I couldn’t stop the wide smile from taking over my face. “Let’s go home.”

With my bat on my shoulder and my head high, I led the way out of that house and to the car.

Apartments and houses are vastly different ways of living so it’s hard to compare the two…but that won’t stop me!

Seungwoo lived in a penthouse apartment and it was luxurious. The Brazilian rosewood floor of the entry and giant living area that housed floor to ceiling windows. The beautiful kitchen with marble countertops, mahogany cabinets, and the latest gadgets. The indoor pool that lets you control the temperature of the water. The balcony fully furnished with a couch big enough to be a bed, a hammock, and a garden. I’m talking LUXURY.

I’m waiting for the day that I can descend down that spiral staircase in a gown with a train longer than Princess Diana’s veil.

Seungwoo, being the amazing man that he is, moved all of my boxes to what would now be my room. _My room. That’s so weird to say._ We sat on the floor, opening up the boxes and unpacking.

“Why do you have so many clothes?” Seungwoo asked after we opened the fourth box packed with clothing.

I rolled my eyes. “You really want to go there? Do we need to take another tour of your closet? Whole section for my workout clothes headass.”

“You have 7 pairs of the same leggings,” Seungwoo retorted throwing a pair at me. I caught them and stuck my tongue out at him.

“One for every day of the week. When I come home from work, I want to be comfortable.”

It was quiet for a minute while we put away the clothes in my new closet. Could a closet turn you on? The way the size of this closet is looking compared to that sad excuse at my old house, I was starting to feel some things.

“Are we gonna talk about your job?”

Feelings gone.

I sighed. “There’s not much to talk about. Toucan sent out a mass email announcing my pregnancy and them being the shitty company that they are, I got a long winded speech that was a fancy way of saying we’re demoting your ass until you give birth and then we will never give you back your old position. Basically, they were going to push me out. So, I quit before they could do it.” I punctuated it with a shrug. There was no use getting mad about it. It is what it is.

“You were their best manager,” Seungwoo told me. He wasn’t wrong on that, no one else could come close to me. “You should have been made an exec years ago.” Also very true, but that would never happen.

“It was a boys’ club. Those men would have dropped dead and burned that company to the ground before I joined them at the table.” That table was too male, too old, and too white to give me a seat.

“Their loss, Hankang’s gain,” Seungwoo said and my head shot up from folding a shirt.

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about offering you a position with Hankang. Full benefits, much better pay, an office with a beautiful view, and a cute assistant.”

Though those all sounded amazing, “I can’t just take a job from you.”

“Why not?”

“What would it look like if the best friend of the CEO who quit her job on Friday waltzes in on Monday with her briefcase and demanding for people to call her boss?” I pointed out.

Seungwoo chuckled and crushed up the now empty box before pulling the next one over. “You probably shouldn’t demand anyone to call you boss. And it would look like the CEO stole their biggest competitor’s #1 closer.” I opened my mouth and he shushed me. “You can’t really argue against nepotism when the CEO and CFO are the sons of the founders of the company who also still serve on the board of directors.”

Backstory time. Seungwoo and I work in the very glamorous field of marketing. To put it simply, we take startups, market them to investors, get them millions of dollars in investments, make them into multimillion-dollar companies. My previous job was at Mumford Marketing, one of the biggest firms on the east side.

Seungwoo’s family cofounded Mumford’s biggest competitor, Hankang LLC, a company that Seungwoo is the CEO of. The two were usually neck and neck until Mumford acquired a fresh faced college grad that could close a deal better than the FBI could close a case. And then that neck and neck race wasn’t quite so even anymore.

Ever since we graduated, Seungwoo had been trying to get me to work for his company. I can’t even count the attempts to get me to join him. But I wanted a job that I worked for, that I earned based on my own hard work, not one handed to me because I’ve known the Hans since I was a kid. _Yeah, a totally sane person drowning in student debt would turn down a high paying job offered to them when they walked across the stage to get their degree._ What can I say, I’m a person of high upstanding moral character.

“But I didn’t work for it,” I sighed. “How can I prove I deserved it?”

Seungwoo put the boxcutter down and looked straight at me. “You proved yourself when you turned that idea about an online store into a billion dollar brand. I’m not the only one who wants you there. I’m pretty sure the board of directors will fire me if I don’t snatch up the best marketing manager in the world.”

“But…”

“Take the job, Zafirah. You know you can’t say no.”

“Sure can’t. That’s how I got pregnant,” I said.

“Are you sure this isn’t how you got pregnant?” I looked up to see Seungwoo holding up my pink lace panties. Please tell me this isn’t happening and I’m having a fever dream or in a coma. “Do you have a matching bra?” He went to dig back into the box full of my lingerie and I just reacted.

I launched myself at him, tackling him to the ground and grabbing my panties from his hand. Seungwoo was cracking up underneath me as my entire body heated up. There was no way he could see me blush, but that didn’t stop the embarrassment flooding into my body.

My fists weakly hit his chest as I pouted. “It’s not funny. I would like you to know that I look sexy as hell in these.” Ladies, you know those panties you wear that just make you feel like the hottest thing on the planet. Those panties you wear when you know you’re about to get some dick or pussy. This baby pink lacy dream was my A1, my go to. No man has ever resisted me in these panties. And my best friend is about to give me a whole complex now.

Seungwoo’s hands held onto my hips and he sat up, my legs on either side of his thighs. I could feel his breath on my face as our chests touched. He wasn’t laughing anymore, his eyes slightly hooded. Our noses brushed against each other and my breath caught. His thumbs rubbed circles into my hips, sending shivers up my spine.

“I’d have to see it to believe it. Why don’t you put them on and model for me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is it about to go down between Seungwoo and Zafirah?


	4. No Distractions Here

_“Why don’t you put them on and model for me?”_

Zafirah bit her bottom lip and I had to stop myself from moving forward to take a bite myself. Her hands slid from my shoulders to my chest, leaving a trail of heat. “You wish,” she whispered before a hard shove suddenly sent me back to laying on the floor.

I really did.

Zafirah didn’t move from her position, still straddling my lap. She leaned down and laid her head on my chest. Painstakingly, my hands moved from her beautifully wide hips to around her waist.

“Thanks for letting me stay here,” she told me.

“Of course. Did you really think I was going to let you struggle?” I asked. There was no way in hell I would let Zafirah stay anywhere else. What kind of best friend would I be?

“I think we should set up some rules,” she suggested. A yawn escaped and she cuddled even closer to me. “Tell me if you’re gonna bring a girl home so I can disappear. I don’t want to listen to my best friend fucking, and I don’t think you want to have to explain why you have a pregnant girl living with you.”

“Okay.”

“No more touching my underwear.” I couldn’t stop the chuckle from escaping and was rewarded with a slap to the chest. “I’m serious, you freak. No bras, no panties, and if you touch my socks, it’s on sight. What’s not about to happen is me missing one sock from a pair and suddenly my sock count is off. I won’t stand for it.”

“Okay I won’t touch your underwear,” I said. “Anything else?”

“If you use my hair products, you have to die,” she said. “I don’t make the rules, but that’s the way it has to go. These kinks and coils will need more moisture than your silky Asian locks could ever handle, and I will not be responsible for your grease overload. And them hoes is expensive, I probably spend half of my paycheck on natural hair products.” She punctuated it with another yawn. “You’re really comfortable.”

My cheeks were starting to get sore from smiling but I couldn’t help it. I always smile when I’m with Zafirah. She didn’t even have to crack a joke, she could just be there sharing her presence and I was smiling. One look from those beautiful brown almond shaped eyes and the corners of my lips would turn up in a second.

A soft snore rumbled from her. I sighed before trying to carefully maneuver out from under her. After about 10 minutes of me stopping every time she moved, I was finally able to get her laying down on the bed. She turned to her side immediately and snuffled into the pillow, her arms reaching around to cuddle it.

Before I could stop myself, I reached down and placed a kiss on her temple. I took my leave as to not wake her up, closing the door quietly behind me.

When I heard the doorknob I click, I let out the breath I was holding. That woman was going to be the death of me, especially if she was going to keep sitting on me. It had to be by the grace of god that she did not feel my boner under her ass. Either that or I was going to develop a complex about the size of my dick.

“I need a cold shower,” I told myself.

After handling myself and a long shower to wash away my sins, Zafirah was still asleep. Just as I was about to sit down and get some work done, my phone rang. One look at the screen and anxiety just washed over me in huge waves.

“Hi Mom,” I answered.

“How was the date? Miyeon’s mother told me you haven’t called her back. Why not?” It was another one of those conversations. Not ‘Hello my dear son. How are you doing? Are you stressed from work? Do you need some of my potato pancakes?’ Wait Miyeon? How the hell did I get Bethany from Miyeon?

Best not to mention the name mix up. “She’s not really my type, Mom. She was just a little too,” Vapid? Dull? Vain? Self-absorbed? Conceited? “focused on other things. We didn’t have the same goals.” I was trying to run a company, and she was trying to figure out her next procedure.

“And what is this I hear about you leaving her in the middle of the restaurant?” There was the disappointed and slightly pissed tone I was so used to. I heard it about once a week, maybe twice if I was on my best behavior. “If you think I raised a pig who abandons his dates in the middle of them then you are sorely mistaken.”

“In my defense, I had a perfectly good reason to leave the date and I paid for everything before I left,” I told her.

“What is this perfectly good reason to desert your potential future wife?” Ignoring my gag reflex at the future wife comment, I started to panic a little. It’s not exactly like I could tell her that I was now living with a pregnant Zafirah. 1) She would have a stroke, 2) It wasn’t my place to tell people about Zafirah being pregnant, and 3) My dear mother has never been the biggest fan of my best friend.

“Uh, well Zafirah called me,” There was the deep breath. “And her boyfriend kicked her out.” She sighed. “I couldn’t leave her out on the street in the middle of the night.” And there was the sucking of the teeth. Here it comes.

“Why did you have to be the one to get her? Seungwoo, you need to stop babying that girl. She is a grown woman who can take care of herself. If she wanted to shack up before getting married, she has to deal with the consequences. You need to worry about settling down. Do you think any woman is going to marry you with that girl always under you?”

Before she could get any further into her rant, I had to cut her off. “Well Mom as much as I love our talks, I have to get some work done. Talk to you later, love you.” I hung up so quick, my mom couldn’t even get a response in. Maybe it was a bit rude, but I didn’t feel like having to sit through another lecture/rag on Zafirah session that she seemed to love so much. Without fail, if Zafirah was brought up in a conversation Mom would have something negative to say or something to criticize.

She’d been doing it since she met the girl. I honestly think one of her favorite activities was to insult Zafirah. It was right up there with planning her children’s lives.

That is exactly why Mom can never know that I have a pregnant Zafirah living with me.

_Forget about your mom and focus._

My phone rang again, and I groaned. Could I not get one moment of peace to focus on my work? What was so important that I had to be bothered on a Saturday?

“What?” I snapped after answering.

“Hello Seungsik. How are you, Seungsik? How’s your weekend going? Would it kill you to answer the phone like that every once in a while?”

I sighed and pinched at the bridge of my nose. Kang Seungsik, my oldest friend and the CFO to my CEO. Also the one who tended to act like my brain on the numerous occasions I left it at home.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“So when were you planning to tell me about our newest employee? When she waltzed into the office on Monday with a briefcase?”

“When have you known Zafirah to ever carry a briefcase?”

There was a brief moment of silence and I was pretty sure Seungsik was trying to figure out how to strangle me through the phone. Okay, so I may have failed to mention that I was hiring a new manager to my business partner since diapers.

“Seungwoo,” he warned. An icy chill crawled its way up my spine like the hand of death. If I didn’t already know he wasn’t, I would think he was standing over my shoulder.

“She quit yesterday and I hired her an hour ago,” I explained. “I was going to tell you, but my mom called and you know how those conversations go. Zafirah is the best in her field and you know it. Do you really want to risk someone else coming to snatch her up?”

“No but I would like to be informed before you bring on anyone,” he told me. “Especially when they’re pretty girls who distract you when they so much as walk into a room.”

I scoffed. “She does not distract me.”

“I still have that video of you walking into a wall on Halloween.”

Wow, you build a company with someone and this is how they repay you. In my defense, it was very dark in that house and my costume had low visibility. A point that I brought up.

“It had low visibility because you were too busy staring at her to see the wall in front of you,” Seungsik corrected me. He wasn’t wrong, but I would never admit that to him. He didn’t need to have that ego boost. “I’m serious, Seungwoo. I will put her office on the other side of the building and put blinders on you like a horse.”

“I will be focused. Have a little more faith in me,” I told him.

“Not when it comes to Zafirah.”


	5. The Assistant is Cute, the CEO Not So Much

It was officially my first day at Hankang and I am already about to murder someone. That someone in particular was Han Seungwoo. The office view was beautiful and my assistant was cute, but that means nothing if I can’t have my daily dose of caffeine.

“If you want me on my A game then I need A game coffee,” I growled at him. This asshole had the nerve to hide the coffee at the house and parade around his to go cup that was full of that brown goodness. I could take him. He’s a tall former athlete, one shot to his knees and he would be down for the count. I just needed to aim it perfectly so I could catch the cup.

“The doctor said too much coffee isn’t healthy for you,” he reminded me.

“Too much coffee!”

“Any coffee is too much coffee,” he told me. “You’re not getting any and because I know you…Subin!”

My bright eyed assistant came in. “Yes sir?”

“Miss Hughes is to have no coffee under any circumstances,” Seungwoo ordered and I felt my eye begin to twitch. “If you see her with a hint of caffeine, take it away from her.”

“Yes sir,” he said.

“Good boy,” Seungwoo told Subin before turning to me. “Have a good first day!”

“I hate you Han!” I called out after him as he exited my office.

“Love you too!”

When I got home, I was going to pour a whole bottle of milk of magnesia in his precious to go cup. He could go shit his brains out for the rest of the day for all I cared. Who did he think he was?

Subin still stood by the door. _Maybe I could finesse something out of him_. The kid was the cutest thing I had ever seen. I’m pretty sure his smile launched rainbows and he was best friends with unicorns. “I know Seungwoo just told you not to, but I am your boss…” Was I going to play the boss card even though it was a total dick move? Abso-fucking-lutely.

He bounced on the soles of his feet and pursed his lips, looking deep in thought for a few seconds. “Technically Seungwoo is your boss which makes him my boss’s boss. Gotta listen to him.” Goddammit Seungwoo where did you find this kid? “Sorry Miss Hughes, no coffee. Do you want me to bring the files from TRSHA?”

“Yes,” I groaned, sinking down in my chair. Speaking of, I needed to get a new chair that is more ergonomic. That damn thing provided no lumbar support and if I was about to be supporting an extra 25 pounds on my front, my back needed to be supported. _Let me make a note to talk to Subin about that later_.

Subin came back with a box of folders and a little paper plate. I eyed the plate as he set it on my desk and the aroma of fresh sugary goodness filled my nostrils. A bear claw stared back at me, the glossy icing and slivered almonds beckoning me to just reach out and taste it. “This is all the paperwork we have on TRSHA, Hayoung has been working on them for a few months now. And this is a little pick me up.”

I reached over and plucked a single almond from the pastry, popping it in my mouth. The slight bit of sugar shot tingles down my spine. “Kid,” I said to Subin. “We are going to get along great.”

I spent the entire day going through that box and reading over the files. I was engrossed in my work, it took someone knocking on my door for me to realize the sun was setting. Reading those tiny black words made my brain feel scrambled. I took my glasses off and rubbed away at the strain of my eyes.

“Working hard?” Seungwoo was smiling at me from the door and I already knew I was scowling at him. Don’t think I forgot about lacing his stuff with laxatives. Deny me my coffee? I think not! Just because you want to smile your pretty smile at me doesn’t mean I haven’t forgotten your transgressions. “How was your first day?”

“You should know, you came in here every two hours,” I reminded him. For real that man came in here like clockwork. I was about to have Subin start acting like a bouncer at the door. Then again I could already tell the kid was loyal to Seungwoo and one order would be all it took to get him to step aside. Plus even if the kid had a little bite to him, Seungwoo had a good few inches on him. “Did _you_ work hard?”

“Not at all.” I didn’t even see Seungsik standing behind Seungwoo. Kang Seungsik was the CFO and the Kang in Hankang. He was also another man I had known since high school and one of the only people who could keep Seungwoo in check.

Seungwoo pouted but it had not effect on either of us. That was one of the perks of knowing the guy for so damn long. Him poking his lower lip out did absolutely nothing and made you feel absolutely nothing.

“I told him that we had an open office on the other side of the building with just as great a view, but he insisted you stay close,” Seungsik snitched.

“Is that other office still open because I will happily move,” I told them as I gathered my stuff up. Seungwoo began to whine and I rolled my eyes before patting his chest as I passed by him. “Not that this fool would let me anyway.”

Two weeks after moving in Seungwoo and starting at Hankang, I have to say, a bitch was fully adjusted. We had a good groove going. Problems? I didn’t know her.

But that bitch knew me.

It all happened one beautiful Sunday afternoon while I was lounging on the plush white couch with Seungwoo’s head on my thigh as we binged a Netflix show. Everything was great until I felt something unsettle in my stomach. I tried to ignore it until whatever it was began to push up in my throat and my chest started moving up and down rapidly.

“You okay?” Seungwoo asked me, looking up.

I attempted to nod, but the single movement was all it took for me to push him off and run to the bathroom. Where I proceeded to vomit out every single last bit of the contents in my stomach. My throat and nose burned as I retched and tears started to well in my eyes from the force.

The cold porcelain would probably leave a mark on my chest from how tight I was pressed against it. The warmth of Seungwoo’s large hand rubbed circles into my back. He didn’t say anything, the only sounds were of me throwing up. After what felt like an eternity, I finally stopped.

“I hate being pregnant,” I whined into the white bowl, sniffling and then cringing at the smell. Seungwoo helped me stand up and I went straight to the sink to wash out my mouth.

“Need me to get you anything?” he asked and I shook my head. All I needed was to scrub my tongue for an hour and then gargle a bottle of listerine. The tiny part of hope I had left wanted to believe that this would be a one off thing, but I knew better.

“I’m fine.” The words scratched at my raw throat. I waved him off and he went back to the living room. After I felt like I had effectively removed all traces of what just happened, I joined him laid on the couch.

I flopped down right on top of his tall frame and rolled my eyes at his grunt. _Overdramatic ass_. His arm came up to hold my waist and I pressed my lips together to keep from smiling. “You know we’re not gonna be able to do this in a few months.”

I sighed and reached my arms around him, cuddling even closer. “So I’m going to enjoy every little bit of it right now,” I told him before closing my eyes and taking a deep breath. His smell was so intoxicating, spicy yet subtle. Just enough to make you want to get a second sniff.

The blaring of my ringtone broke me from my thoughts and I wanted to throw it away. Instead I chose to ignore it.

“Are you gonna get that?” Seungwoo asked, his deep voice breathy in my ear.

“Nope.”

“What if it’s important?”

“You can get it, I’m busy,” I told him. I felt him sigh more than I heard him and he reached over to grab my phone.

“Hello?” he answered. “Nah, it’s Seungwoo. She’s being lazy and doesn’t want to answer.” Since he wanted to be a smart ass, I pinched him. He pinched me back in return. _I really hate this man_. “She’s right here.”

He handed me the phone and I took it reluctantly. “Hello?”

“Bitch!” Quanetta’s shrill voice almost blew out my eardrum. What was she so loud for? “Why the fuck am I at your house and Devante telling me you don’t live here no more?”

“Because I don’t,” I said slowly, kicking myself. Confession time. I have not told anybody that Devante and I broke up or that he kicked me out. Part of it was because my ego was slightly bruised that that fool broke up with me instead of the other way around and part of it was because I didn’t want to explain the entire reason as to why we broke up and he kicked me out. I was gonna sing like a canary about his trifling ass shacking up with Pigeon behind my back, but I wasn’t ready to tell people about my pregnancy.

The doctor said it would be best to tell people after I was 12 weeks because the chances of miscarriage dropped exponentially. Also, do you know how embarrassing it is to tell people you got knocked up by a deadbeat? That you were going to be a single mother? That your baby’s father outright denied them and put you on the street in favor of a bird bitch?

I wasn’t ready for the judgment and the pity.

“Bitch what the fuck are you talking about?” she hissed through the phone. “Where are you?”

Against my better judgment, I told her. “Seungwoo’s apartment.”

“I’m coming right now.” *Click*

Did that bitch just hang up on me? Oh shit. I groaned and sat up, straddling Seungwoo who was watching me. “Quanetta’s coming here.”

“Why?”

“Because I didn’t tell her about Devante and moving out and the shitshow that is my current life,” I confessed. Absentmindedly, I started to stroke my hands up and down Seungwoo’s chest. “What am I going to do? I can’t tell her I’m pregnant, I still got six more weeks. Do I just lie to her? Should I just tell her about that nigga cheating on me with Peacock? What if he already told her I was pregnant?” In the middle of my spiral, I felt something twitch and poke me…between my legs. I paused everything I was doing and looked down at Seungwoo. “Nigga are you hard?”

He didn’t even look like he was embarrassed that his dick was at full attention. “Zafirah, you’re sitting on my lap and rubbing my chest,” he told me calmly. “I’m a man, what do you expect?”

“For you to control your dick in times of crisis!” I said, throwing a pillow at him and scrambling to get off him.

“It’s not like I’m sitting around thinking about sex! Your ass was literally pressed against my cock! What do you think is going to happen?” he argued back, sitting up. My eyes automatically zeroed in on the tent in his shorts and I instinctively gulped.

 _Focus Zafirah!_ “We don’t have time for this! Quanetta is coming right now,” I said. “Can you go handle yourself?”

“Are you gonna help me?” Seungwoo teased. I grabbed the pillow on the floor and hit him upside the head. This fool must have really lost his mind. He put his hands up. “Okay, I’m joking! I’ll go!”

He stood up and took his sweet time walking upstairs.

I can’t stand that man. I glared at him until I couldn’t see his trifling ass anymore before I released the breath I was holding and sat down. My mouth was dry like I had just eaten a handful of sawdust. I personally didn’t believe in stereotypes, but I was surprised. Nothing could have prepared me for that.

A tingle sparked in between my legs and I bit my lip. _It’s just pregnancy hormones._ I read somewhere that you can get really horny when you’re pregnant. This was probably one of those moments. Also I hadn’t had sex in two weeks. I went from getting dicked down on the daily to nothing. Obviously my body just reacted to the sudden presence of penis.

I pushed all of those thoughts to the back of my head. I had to think straight so I could figure out what I was going to tell Quanetta.

By the time the doorbell rang, I had figured out my entire story. I took a breath before answering the door. On the other side stood a tall, dark skinned woman with hips and thighs thicker than oatmeal. Her glossy lips pursed as she looked down at me, clearly not happy.

Quanetta Anderson. She was my other best friend, a girl I had met when we both interned Mumford. I was in marketing, obviously, and she was in legal. We bonded over hair products and our dislike of fake bitches. Though her time at Mumford was short-lived, our friendship lasted.

“Hey girl,” I tried.

“Don’t try me bitch,” she said unimpressed before walking past me. “I stop by your house so we can hang out, maybe get some lunch. Only to find out that you don’t live there anymore. Explanations. Now.” She plopped down on the white couch, putting her LV purse on the silver coffee table.

This should go well. “You sure I can’t get you anything? Water? Juice? Coffee?” I offered, trying to stall this conversation as much as possible.

“The reason Devante almost caught these hands for cursing at me when I rolled up,” she demanded.

I sighed. Well here goes nothing. “Because he kicked me out.”

“What?” she snapped, lurching forward. “What do you mean he kicked you out?” I explained what had happened to her, leaving out the fact that that idiot knocked me up. I did make sure to include the fact that he was cheating on me with Seagull.

“Please tell me you beat that bitch’s ass! Or at least told everyone at work that she was a hoe who fucks taken men.”

“Nope,” I answered. “I quit before I even found out and you know she only act big bad when she got someone to protect her.”

“So? What about Devante? You stuck that nigga right?” she asked. Quanetta, my dear friend, was also not afraid to fight a nigga. I could recount a few times I had to actually pull her away before an altercation could happen.

I shook my head again. “I didn’t, but Seungwoo got a good one on him. And I broke the tv.”

Quanetta cackled, her hand slapping at the couch cushion. She wiped at her tearing eyes as she settled down. “Did I ever mention I love Seungwoo? So what’s going on now? Where are you gonna live? How are you gonna make money?”

I gestured to the lavish apartment. “Welcome to my humble abode.” Quanetta looked at me like I had lost my mind. She probably thought I was playing around with her. “Seungwoo asked me to move in with him and I prefer a roommate in this gorgeous penthouse opposed to living under my parents’ roof again.”

“Bitch…”

“And I already have a new job. At Hankang.”

“Zafirah…”

“Are you sure I can’t get you anything?”

“Zafirah Hughes, you are NOT shacking up with this boy,” she said in disbelief. I nodded slowly. “And you work for him now?” I nodded once more and she screeched. “How long has it been?”

“Two weeks.”

She started howling again. “How hard did he blow your back out? He has had to have been deep in them guts by now. How big is it? I know it’s big, I just know it.”

I started shushing her, jumping up to put my hand over her mouth. She looked up at me like I had fully lost my mind. I probably did judging by my now sticky hand. “Shut up,” I hissed at her. “No we have not fucked and his ass is upstairs, bitch. Keep it down.”

She pulled my hand away from her mouth. “You been in this apartment with premium sausage for two WHOLE weeks and you’ve done nothing with it. It wasn’t even two hours before you were letting Devante pipe you down and his ass is isn’t even grade C meat. Seungwoo is organic, grass-fed, free-roaming, no preservatives, grade AAA beef and your ass is suddenly vegetarian?”

The worst part of it was that she was speaking nothing, but facts. Also, now I had a craving for some steak.

“He’s my boss, my roommate, and my best friend. The three top people you should not be having any kind of relations with that aren’t platonic,” I told her. “Besides, he only sees me as a friend.”

Quanetta sucked her teeth and rolled her eyes, her right leg crossing over her left. “Girl, in the time I have known you both, that boy has never looked at you like a friend.” I opened my mouth to protest, but she held her hands up in surrender. “But I won’t press you. Is there anything else you haven’t told me during keep Quanetta out the loop time?”

“Nope.”

That night, after Quanetta left promising to come by soon, I knocked on Seungwoo’s door. My best friend had not come back downstairs after I sent him away to handle his…situation. I wasn’t necessarily worried about him because he’s a grown man who can take care of his own penis. _I wouldn’t mind helping him though. Shut up inner thoughts!_ I just wanted to check on him.

The door opened and I was suddenly looking at a bare chest. I blinked several times trying to make sense of what exactly was happening.

“Need something?”

I cleared my throat and looked up at Seungwoo, my eyes no doubt wide. His hair was still wet and I realized that he had just got out of the shower. Thankfully he had pants on or this conversation was about to go an entirely different route.

I put my hands behind my back and swayed back and forth on my toes, trying to look like I didn’t have his dick at the back of my mind all day and was lowkey thinking about what I would very much like to do with it. Pure as the fresh driven snow here people. _Says the pregnant girl_.

“Just wanted to talk,” I said.

Seungwoo must have been in a good mood because he decided to amuse me. “Come in,” he told me, moving aside.

I smiled as innocently as possible and walked into his room.


	6. Stupid Neapolitan Milkshake

Zafirah sat down on my bed, leaning back on her hands. She patted the spot right next to me and I chuckled. How was she gonna tell me to sit down like this wasn’t my own room?

“What did you want to talk about?” I asked, making sure to keep a good amount of space between us. After what happened this afternoon, I didn’t want to make her uncomfortable. Great news, my complex is now gone.

She looked at me, a slight smile on her lips and soft eyes. “You shouldn’t walk around with wet hair. You’ll get sick.” She moved closer to me and got on her knees, grabbing the towel around my neck. From her spot behind me, Zafirah began to run the towel through my hair, drying it for me.

It was nice…and strangely domestic. But I wasn’t going to complain. The last time someone dried my hair for me was when I still had baby teeth.

“I told Quanetta everything,” she started, breaking the comfortable silence. “Except for the fact that I am pregnant. It’s probably best I wait until I’m 12 weeks. But now she knows that we live together.” She sounded like she had something else to say so I stayed quiet and waited for her.

Her hands stopped moving and she sighed. I took the towel off my head and went to throw it back in the bathroom. Zafirah had switched back to sitting and watched me.

“Have you told anybody?” she asked me.

“No, my current roommate situation hasn’t been brought up yet as a topic,” I answered, sitting back down next to her. I could feel her eye roll without even looking at her. It was one of her signature signs of annoyance.

“I gotta tell my family eventually,” she said. “They might roll up like Quanetta and if Devante is acting out of pocket like she said, it’s only a matter of time before they run up on him.”

I didn’t really see a problem with that. If Zafirah wasn’t there to hold me back, I would have beat his ass to a pulp. That bitch deserved it. “What’s wrong with that?”

She sucked her teeth and pushed at my shoulder. I grabbed her arm and pulled her over, putting my arm around her shoulders. “The sooner I can stop hearing that dumbass’s name, the sooner I can forget the fact that I wasted four years of my life. That would be kind of hard if one of my relatives is in jail for his murder.”

“My family has a great lawyer,” I pointed out. “I’ll refer him.”

Zafirah moved out from under my arm and pushed me away from her. “You play too much.” Not the first time someone has told me that. Probably not the last time I’ll hear it. “They’re gonna find out.”

“I never said you couldn’t tell anyone. It’s your business to tell and this apartment is just as much yours as it is mine,” I told her.

“Your lease says otherwise,” she told me with pursed lips and an eye roll to compliment.

“I’m serious,” I chuckled. “This is your home too. I don’t care if you tell people.”

She nodded and didn’t say anything back. We sat like that for a few moments, neither of us saying a word, just sitting in comfortable silence. “Are you planning on telling anyone? I mean my sneak game is top tier but if you got people busting up in here like my family probably would, I can only do so much.”

“No one is gonna bust in here,” I tried to say. Zafirah’s eyebrows raised as she looked at me in disbelief.

“Bitch, I have known you since high school,” she snorted. “Your family stays in your business. I can’t even count how many times your mama bust up in your room whenever I was over.”

Shit she was right. “My mom can’t know you live here,” I told her. I felt like I had just admitted a dark secret. I had already known that my mom finding out Zafirah now lived with me would probably give her a stroke, but I didn’t tell Zafirah that. Here I was, a 27 year old man, and I was still hiding stuff from my mother.

“I know,” she told me. “I was just waiting for you to say it.”

As much as my mom was obsessed with appearances and image, she never really could hide her disdain for my best friend. The woman could smile in the face and compliment her worst enemy without the other knowing how much she disliked them. But when it came to Zafirah?

She had no poker face and didn’t care to get one. Not that Zafirah did either.

“I’ll just make sure she never comes over,” I said. _Damn, even I didn’t believe myself when I said that._ Zafirah crossed her arms and I sighed. “As long as her little circle doesn’t find out, she won’t find out. And I have no plans to go blabbing to any of them.”

Zafirah started laughing like I had just told the best joke. I waited until she calmed down which took a good few minutes. “This will go down in flames.” I gave her an unamused look. Some faith in me would be pretty nice right now. She lightly patted my cheek before getting up. “I’ll keep the fire extinguisher handy. Good night Seungwoo.”

Really? She was just going to leave like that?

“Good night,” I told her. She walked out of my room, the door closing behind her and I sighed. My confidence in this entire situation had dropped exponentially. But I had no intention to change anything about it.

Seungsik flopped into the chair across from my desk and pinched the bridge of his nose. I paused my typing to look at him.

“I hate to admit it,” he sighed, and I already liked where this was going. “But you were right.” There it is. One of my favorite phrases to hear especially coming from Seungsik. It just gave me that warm fuzzy feeling of success. “Zafirah is amazing. It took Hayoung 8 months to get an inch on that TRSHA deal. Zafirah’s been here 3 weeks and she closed it.”

Even though he was praising Zafirah, I felt like I was getting praised too. Who had the foresight to bring her on? Me! I deserved several pats on the back for that. I am amazing.

“Don’t do anything to screw this up.”

Wait what? “What makes you think I would mess this up?” I asked incredulously. Me? How could I mess this up? He was the one who felt some type of way when I hired her!

Seungsik looked unimpressed when he looked at me. “Because you’re Seungwoo and you do not think straight around Zafirah.”

“I think straight around her,” I argued. That was a bold faced lie and we both knew it. One look from Seungsik and I cracked. “Okay I can’t. But I’m working on it. I haven’t gone over to her office once today.” It was true. The last time I saw her was when we came to work.

“How many times have you texted her?” he asked.

At that exact moment, my phone pinged in betrayal. Before I could even reach for it, Seungsik grabbed it and read over the message. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped. He looked up to me in shock. That’s not a good sign.

“Can we stop by Shake Shack on the way home? The baby is demanding a Neapolitan shake and roadside double?” he read out loud. Oh shit this was not good. My mind started flashing red alert. “The baby? Did you knock Zafirah up!?”

It was a good thing the door was closed or else half the floor would have heard him. I immediately shushed him. “No, I didn’t knock her up!” I hissed at him. “Her ex did.”

“From the beginning, what happened?”

So I told him everything. How Zafirah called me that night to pick her, how she had been kicked out, moving in with me, the doctor’s appointment, everything. By the end of it, Seungsik was pacing my office and pinching the bridge of his nose. I started noticing that he does that a lot when he’s frustrated.

He stopped and put his hands on my desk, leaning forward. “So, you are now living with a pregnant Zafirah?” I pressed my lips together and nodded. “What the hell? Who else knows? Does your mom know?”

“No!” I started. “She cannot know. Seungsik, you are the only person who knows everything and you have to keep it a secret. Not even Zafirah’s family knows she’s pregnant. This cannot leave this office under any circumstances. Do you understand?”

He nodded slowly and sat down in his chair. He looked like he was in shock. I let him process all of the information I just dumped on him because it was a lot. Since when did life become this complicated? Could we go back to the time where all we stressed about were term papers and who was dating who? Those were much simpler, easier times to live in.

“She’s having someone else’s child and you’re still head over heels for her,” he pointed out. Seungsik really could read me like a book. He was absolutely right in every sense of the word.

“Am I stupid?” I asked.

“Very,” he sighed. “And it doesn’t help that you got a such a damn good heart. Why are you CEO again?”

I chuckled. Okay so it was a minor setback in Zafirah’s goal to keep everything a secret, but Seungsik was the most trustworthy person on the planet. I trusted him with my life and I knew he wouldn’t tell anyone. But Zafirah was going to kill me when I told her about this.


	7. I Hate Old Spice

I was in the middle of reading through this upstart makeup company’s business model when there was a knock on my open door. “That better be Subin’s cute smile or food,” I said before looking up. Sadly it was neither. A guilty looking Seungwoo and a serious looking Seungsik were standing at my door.

That was not a good sign.

“Come in,” I said. They closed the door behind them and sat on the opposite side of my desk. I put the folder down and leaned back in my chair. (I got a much better one with amazing support.) “What can I help you with?”

“Seungsik knows,” Seungwoo blurted out.

I knew I looked confused because I felt confused. What in the world was this fool talking about? “Knows what?”

“That you’re pregnant and you live with him now,” Seungsik explained, nodding to Seungwoo who looked like he wanted to hide. Which was probably a good idea. Because I was going to murder this bastard when we got home. I can’t do here because this is a swanky new job and I actually like working here.

I rounded on Seungwoo. “Bitch, you had one job. What part of I don’t want anyone to know until 12 weeks do you not understand?”

“He read my texts! You’re the one who wanted Shake Shack! Technically this is your fault,” he defended himself and immediately put his hands up to block his face.

Which was smart because I threw my tissue box at him. He had me all the way fucked up if he was trying to blame me for his fuck up. “You’re lucky we are in a place of business right now otherwise your ass would be grass.” I turned to Seungsik. “Please don’t tell anyone else. I want to wait until I’m in the clear.”

“Of course,” he told me. “If you need anything just ask.”

This was why Seungsik was about to be my favorite. “A lawyer maybe because we when get home, I’m gonna murder this fool.”

“Even if we get Shake Shack?” Seungwoo offered.

“Get out,” I pointed to the door.

After they left I sank further down into my chair. Seungwoo literally had one thing to keep a secret and he blabs the day after I about had a breakdown about how I didn’t want anyone to know about said secret. What in the absolute hell? I was pissed beyond belief. And that was how I spent the rest of the day. Doing my work while pissed.

I didn’t say one word to him in the elevator or the car until we pulled into the drive through.

“Are you really not going to talk to me?” he asked after placing the order. My response was turning my head to look out the window. I heard him sigh, but I still kept looking out the window. “I’m sorry for telling Seungsik. I shouldn’t have let him take my phone. I’m an idiot.”

My eyes started water and I wanted to curse. Those damn pregnancy hormones were getting to me again. I felt the little dribble in my nose and sniffled.

“Are you crying?” he asked.

“No,” I said stubbornly even though my voice wavered. I tried to rub at my teary eyes as stealthily as possible, but he caught me anyway. He reached over and grabbed at my chin with his hand. _Stupid long arms and large hands._ He turned me to face him in all my shame.

Seungwoo wiped at the tear tracks on my face. “Really because it looks like you are,” he said softly.

“It’s these stupid pregnancy hormones,” I said angrily, but it came out pitiful. Oh how I hated my life. I was a strong, independent woman, I am someone to be feared, not pitied.

He cooed and reached over to press a kiss to my forehead, his lips warm and soft. “Of course it is.” I looked up at him and saw the slight smile on his lips. His eyes watched me tenderly and I swore my heart skipped a beat. “My Zafirah doesn’t cry that easily.” Nope I was sure that it skipped a beat now because it just did it again. Normally I don’t like anyone to call me theirs, it felt weirdly possessive.

But when he said it, it felt really nice and I liked it.

“Two roadside doubles, a chocolate shake, and a Neapolitan shake?”

I didn’t know whether I wanted to curse at the girl or praise her because I really was about to reach up and kiss Seungwoo. I didn’t know if it was my hormones or what, but I started to feel something in the pit of my stomach. That warm, fuzzy feeling you would get when you saw your high school crush.

A few seconds later and I might have done something stupid. Maybe that drive through girl was my savior.

I stood in front of my mirror, looking at my body. Being only a few weeks along, my stomach wasn’t really showing. Still it would start to show eventually and I didn’t know if I was ready for that. It would mean that this was all very real and I was not in a coma, having a terrible dream.

My hands went to the stereotypical pregnant woman pose of one on top of my stomach and one on the bottom as I stared at my reflection. In the corner of the mirror, I noticed Seungwoo leaning against the doorframe, watching me.

“When do you think I’m gonna start showing?” I asked him without looking away from the mirror.

“The doctor said after 12 weeks,” he answered. I was really starting to hate the number 12. That damn 12 weeks where you can tell people, where you’ll start showing, where everyone now knows that you got knocked up by a deadbeat.

Seungwoo took out his phone and snapped a picture of me. I looked up at him, my eyebrow raised. Was I suddenly doing a photoshoot I didn’t know about? I mean at least let a girl know so she can strike a pose.

“We should take one every week,” he said, coming over and showing me the picture. _Damn my ass looks amazing in this picture._

I sighed and turned back to the mirror. “Do you think I’m gonna get fat?”

Seungwoo snorted and went behind me, bringing me into a hug. His hands went to rest on my still flat stomach. “You’re literally growing another life inside you. You’re not going to get fat.”

“If Baby Z keeps asking for all this damn food, I might get fat,” I said.

“Baby Z?” he asked me.

I nodded. “I don’t know the gender yet and I do not have names already set out because I had no plans to have a baby.” I was not one of those girls who had her wedding planned out and all these goals of motherhood and how many kids they were gonna have. I was more of it’ll happen when it’ll happen type of girl. And this happened a lot sooner than I expected.

“Then we need to start looking at baby names,” Seungwoo told me. We? Damn we really were in this together. He was serious in the doctor’s office when we found out I was pregnant. I looked in the mirror and I swear my heart stopped at what I saw.

We looked like a couple with Seungwoo’s hands on my stomach and him looking down at me fondly. And I really liked what I saw. Where is the drive through girl when you need her?

Seungwoo’s phone rang at that exact moment and I almost did a praise dance. Things were starting to get a little dangerous there. But Seungwoo didn’t let me go as he answered the phone. If anything, he pulled me a little closer and my booty was suddenly pressed against his friend.

 _Sir what are you doing to me?_ I was starting to feel somethings again only it wasn’t just in my stomach. It was also a little lower and a lot more tingly. And if he continued to keep his hands on me, I would be doing a lot more than kissing this man.

“Hey Mom.”

And the feeling was automatically gone. Damn, Mrs. Han wasn’t even here and she was cockblocking me. This shit was high school all over again. I pulled away from Seungwoo and sat on my bed, picking up my phone to occupy myself.

My phone pinged with a text message. It was from my mom. I opened it and groaned softly.

**Family dinner this Friday. Same time as usual.**

“Another date this Friday?” Seungwoo said hesitantly, looking at me. He was shaking his head and mouthing for me to help him.

“Family dinner at Mom’s house,” I whispered.

The relief that spread across his face was priceless. “Sorry Mom, I already made plans to have dinner with Zafirah’s family and you know you taught me never to flake on already set plans…Maybe a later date. I need to check my schedule. Love you Mom. Bye!” That boy hung up the phone so fast I shook my head. He was just so shameless.

I text back my mom.

**Okay Seungwoo’s coming too**

She hit me back immediately.

**Is Devario coming as well?**

Now this lady knew damn well that was not Devante’s name. She never pronounced that boy’s name right since she met him. When we were together, it used to annoy me to no end. Now that we were over, I had a whole new appreciation for her petty levels.

Oh, I knew she was going to have a ball when I told her that we broke up. I responded back to her.

**Nope just Seungwoo**

Again, she text back as soon as I sent my text. My mom did not play those texting games.

**Great! I haven’t seen my future son-in-law in forever!**

Okay so if Seungwoo’s mother was the one praying that we never got together, my mom was the one praying we did. She had been claiming him as her future son-in-law ever since the first time she met him. Mom really was about to throw a party when I told her Devante and I aren’t together anymore. Because in her mind, she isn’t going think about her poor daughter who might be heartbroken, she is going to think about the perfect relationship she has dreamed up finally becoming reality.

I didn’t dare to think how news about this pregnancy was going to affect her.

“I love you so much,” Seungwoo said, breaking me out of my thoughts about my mom’s antics. I looked up and realized he was right in front of me. He really was not understanding personal space today.

I rolled my eyes. “Sure you do, Mr. You taught me never to flake out on already set plans. So who was your date this time? Another IG model? Or is she a Youtuber?”

“Very funny,” he said unamused, taking a spot next to me on my bed and laying down. “It was one of her friend’s daughters who just graduated med school.”

“Oooh,” I teased him, laying on my stomach next to him. “You are leveling up. She got a doctor brother?”

He still was not amused. “How about you focus on figuring out baby names before asking to be set up with a doctor?”

“I’m not understanding why you are so against dating these girls. They can’t all be bad,” I said. As his best friend, Seungwoo told me just about everything going on in his life. So, I was hip to his mom’s plans to get his ass married as soon as possible to a good Korean girl who would pop out three perfect little babies right after the wedding. My best friend though was not interested in being a part of these plans.

He turned to his side and propped his head up with his arm to look at me. “I’m never interested in those girls. They’re not my type.”

I looked back in my rolodex of girls that Seungwoo dated of which there weren’t many. All of them were pretty Asian girls who came from good families and were great wife material. How were these other girls not his type?

“I am never gonna get you Seungwoo,” I sighed.

Rolling up to my parents’ house that Friday, I was nervous. It was like the Quanetta situation all over again, but scarier because there were going to be a lot more people. And they weren’t just anybody, they were my family.

Seungwoo opened the door for me and offered his hand. I took it and got out of the car. He gave me a reassuring squeeze before walked to the front door. I rang the doorbell.

“Maybe we should go back home?” I suggested.

“It will be fine,” he told me. Of course he saw right through me. Our hands stayed locked together and it calmed me. Having Seungwoo with me was calming. “And I’m not missing a chance to have your mom’s food.” This fool just had to ruin the moment.

The door opened and my sister was on the other side. She probably though she was slick, but I saw her eyes flicker to our hands before looking at us. “Guys!” she exclaimed, hugging the both of us. “Mama has not shut up about you coming over, Seungwoo. She already got several to go plates with your name on them.”

“Zenobia! Who is it?” My mom yelled. Why she always gotta be yelling at people?

“Your favorite child!” I mean, not to toot my own horn. “And Zafirah!” This bitch.

Zenobia snorted and I knew she was laughing at my expression. She was so trifling. We walked into the house and my mom came rushing out the kitchen, wiping her hands on her old apron. My mom had had that thing for so long that the white fabric was yellow.

She didn’t even give me one glance. She went straight to Seungwoo, hugging him tightly. Seungwoo hugged her back while I gave the two of them a stank look. It wasn’t like I was her actual child, just standing here.

A quick knock to the top of the head with newspaper made me jump. “Fix your face.” My dad stood next to me with newspaper in hand. I swear this man was the only person who still had a newspaper subscription. Though I’m pretty sure it was just so he has fresh materials to whack people with. The amount times I got smacked by some newspaper.

“Hi Daddy,” I said, giving him a hug. He still smelled like Old Spice, he always had. It was a comforting scent normally, but today it was starting to make my stomach turn.

“Hi Baby Girl. I see you done brought a different person tonight.” He let go of me to shake Seungwoo’s hand after Mom finally let go of him to go back in the kitchen. “How you been Seungwoo?”

“Good Mr. Hughes. It’s good to see you again,” Seungwoo said.

“Now I done told you to call me Pops. Mr. Hughes is my dad,” Daddy told him and I shook my head in exasperation. “Why don’t you join me and the boys in the den? Catch us up to what you’ve been doing.” Like this old negro didn’t see Seungwoo just last month.

Seungwoo looked to me for confirmation. I nodded even though it wasn’t like I could really tell my dad no. Daddy had his hand on Seungwoo’s shoulder while they made their way to the den. I sighed and went into the kitchen where I knew everyone else would be.

My mom, my sisters, my cousin, my auntie, and my sister-in-law were all in the kitchen, sipping on wine and gossiping. Was it really a family dinner if people weren’t gossiping?

“Hey everybody,” I called as I entered.

“Hey Zafirah,” they called back, everyone going through a round of hugs.

“It smell good in here,” I pointed out and it did. Imagine a good homecooked meal of chicken, greens, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, candied yams, rolls, the whole 9 yards. Now dial that up to 1000. That was how good that kitchen smelled. My mouth started watering immediately.

“You know Mama had to do it up for her future son-in-law,” Jasmine said and my mom snapped a dish towel at her making us all laugh. Jasmine was my brother Zahir’s wife. I remember meeting her and just thinking this girl was a model. She was gorgeous, all legs, great body, heart shaped face, beautiful brown skin. I still don’t know how Zahir got her to even give him the time of day.

I creeped over to the stove to get a peak at what she was doing. She really was doing it up. “Mama you made greens _and_ cabbage?” This woman didn’t even do that when I graduated college.

“Got to make sure my baby is fed,” she told me. “I’ll give you the recipe before you leave so you can make it for him.” I pursed my lips when I looked at her, eyes squinted. Now when I asked for those recipes to make it for Devante, she swore up and down I wasn’t ready. She trifling just like her daughter.

My ass suddenly felt like it got burned and I yelped, jumping away. My other sister was there with her hand outstretched. This heifer just slapped my ass. “Did your booty get fatter?”

“Did you have to slap it to check?” I asked. “Old abusive ass.” There was another smack to my ass only this time with a wooden spoon I was all too familiar with. “Ow Mama!” I said, running away and hiding my butt.

“Stop cursing in my damn house,” she told me before pointing to my sister. “Zabrina, you keep touching people and you gone catch a case.”

So if you didn’t notice, me and my siblings’ names all start with Z. See my mom thought she was doing something and being unique by naming us all Z’s. It was me, Zenobia, Zahir, and Zabrina. Zabrina was the oldest then Zahir, me, and Zenobia was the baby of the family.

“She’s right though Marie,” Auntie Estelle said. “Your baby starting to get a little more junk in the trunk.”

“What have you been eating, cousin?” My cousin, Monique asked. “And can I get some?” Monique was not blessed with the family curves so she was always looking for a way to get what she had not been blessed with. So far, nothing has worked.

Zenobia scoffed. “Girl stop trying. Your daddy’s genes are too strong. It didn’t happen during puberty, it ain’t happening now.” Everyone else laughed while Monique just sucked her teeth and crossed her arms.

“Alright!” my mom clapped her hands to get our attention. “Dinner is ready. All of you help me set the table. Zafirah, go get the boys.”

I nodded and went to the den. My dad, Seungwoo, Zahir, my Uncle Benny, cousin Nate, brother-in-law Jacob, and Zenobia’s longtime boyfriend Aaron were having a good old time laughing about something. “Dinner’s ready,” I called into the room. I was not going in. The smell of old spice was embedded into the walls and my stomach could not take it.

“Hey Zafirah,” they called as they all got up to go to the dining room. I let each of them pass me as I waited for Seungwoo.

“You got a good one there, Sis,” Zahir told me as he walked past, and I ignored him. That nigga knew good and well that we were not together.

Seungwoo finally came out and looked down at me. Worry etched itself on his face. “Are you okay? You look sick,” he whispered to me.

I shook my head and waved it off. “My dad’s cologne is just making me a little nauseous. I’ll be fine.” I waited until all of them had left the hallway before I turned into Seungwoo and breathed in his scent. It relaxed me. Seungwoo patiently waited for me. “Okay, let’s eat.”

He smiled at me and led me to the dining room, his hand on the small of my back. We sat down and got to eating. That food was so delicious. My mom really put her foot in it this time.

“Baby, Seungwoo told us that you work at his company now,” Daddy said. I turned to Seungwoo who was suddenly very interested in the yams. Oh he was gonna get it when we got home. Apparently he really can’t keep his mouth shut.

I nodded. “Yes sir, I quit my old job. I just didn’t really like how they did things there.”

“Good for you,” he said. “That company culture was just off. There was no loyalty there.” He had that right. “Seungwoo, make sure you take care of her there.”

“It’s more like she’s taking care of me,” Seungwoo told him and I couldn’t stop the smile from creeping on my face. “She’s an amazing worker and everybody loves her.” He smiled at me and I playfully pushed him.

Mom piled some more food onto Seungwoo’s plate. “Make sure you eat a lot, baby.”

“Let him finish what’s already on his plate, Marie,” Daddy said after the third serving of mac and cheese. “You gone make that boy sick.”

Seungwoo waved it off. “I’m fine. This is really good Mrs. Hughes.” Honestly, I’ve seen Seungwoo put away way more than 3 servings of mac and cheese so he really was going to be fine.

“Call me Mama,” she told him and I just knew she was living for it all. She only told people to call her that when they were her children’s’ significant others that she liked.

Zabrina, being the messy girl that she was, decided to point that out. “You know, you never told Devante to call you Mama. He always said Mrs. Hughes.”

“Where is Devante?” Zenobia asked. The both of them were messy and trifling.

“Well Zafirah said Devaughn wasn’t coming,” Mom said looking at me. “What happened to Devin?” She knew damn well that those were not that boy’s names.

Everyone at the table looked at me waiting for an explanation. This entire family is messy. I cleared my throat. “We broke up,” I said simply. What happened next made me want to start fighting people. It was like they all breathed a sigh of relief.

“Finally.”

“I thought she would never get rid of that nigga.”

“You know I never liked him.”

“Good for you.”

“Good riddance.”

I looked to Seungwoo in disbelief and he was enjoying every single bit of it. I elbowed his side and he pinched me back. “I already told you my opinion on him,” he whispered to me. I was never asking him for moral support because he sucks at it.

My mom hushed everybody before raising her glass and they all followed suit. My jaw was on the floor at this point. “To Deverell-“

“Devante,” everybody corrected her.

“May we never see that fool again,” she toasted and they all had the audacity to drink to her toast. This was some bullshit.

“Zafirah, why aren’t you drinking?” Zahir asked me. “He was a bum and you know it.”

“I do know it, but I’m not drinking right now,” I responded.

He rolled his eyes and poured more wine into my untouched glass, trying to give it to me. Seungwoo grabbed it for me and put it on the other side of him, making Zahir give him a weird look. “She’s not drinking,” he told him and Zahir put his hands up in innocence.

“Since when don’t you drink?” Zabrina asked. See there she went again being messy. “You never say no to a drink.”

“If she don’t want to drink, she ain’t gotta drink,” Nate defended. _Shout out to you Cousin Nate!_ He pulled me to his side roughly. My cousin was always rough with us, so I was used to that. But he had either been in that den awhile or he used some of Daddy’s cologne. Because my nose was suddenly full of the scent of old spice.

Zabrina scoffed. “I’m not saying she gotta drink. I just want to know why she doesn’t want to. She never says no.”

“Nate let me go,” I said softly. Too softly because he didn’t hear me. My stomach was turning, flipping, somersaulting, knotting, doing everything a stomach was not supposed to do.

“Brina leave her alone,” Jacob, her husband, told her. “You just being nosy.”

“I’m allowed to be nosy,” Zabrina argued. “Zenobia, Zahir, when has Zafirah ever said no to a drink?”

“Never,” the two of them said and Zabrina rolled her neck.

“Nate let me go,” I said again, but again he did not hear me. My chest started moving up and down rapidly and I couldn’t stop it. It was coming no matter what.

Zabrina kept going and going. “So what’s really going on?” She paused for a second before she looked dead at me. “Are you pregnant?”

At that exact moment, I finally shoved Nate off of me and made a mad dash for the bathroom. Where I proceeded to spew out all of that good food that I just ate into my parents’ toilet. Someone must have followed me because my hair was held back and a hand rubbed soothing circles into my back.

“Let it all out,” Monique’s calm voice told me. Another wave hit me. After a good five minutes of throwing up, my stomach finally settled, and I sat back. Monique handed me some tissue to wipe my mouth.

“Thanks,” I said weakly and she nodded.

“Get yourself together before you come back out,” she told me before leaving me in the bathroom alone.

I took a few calming breaths and also helped myself to the mouthwash on the sink. When I felt like I was presentable, I went back out to the dining room.

For once, these people were completely silent. I sat back down in my chair and Seungwoo grabbed my hands. He looked even more worried than when we were by the den. “Are you okay? Do we need to go home?”

I shook my head. “I’m good.” He didn’t look convinced in the slightest, but he didn’t press.

“Zafirah,” my mom called. She sounded dead serious and that tone was never a good tone to be on the receiving end of. I turned to her. “Are you pregnant?”

There was no point in lying or beating around the bush. They were going to find out eventually so might as well tell them now. After they just heard me threw up everything but my memories. “Yes. I am pregnant.”

Now when I was imagining what would happen when I finally told my family, I was expecting disappointment, some anger, maybe a little lecturing about how irresponsible I was. That was what I had prepared myself for. That was not what happened.

My family started hooping and hollering, cheering like our team had won the Superbowl. They were congratulating me and hugging me which already I wasn’t prepared for. But they were also congratulating Seungwoo and patting him on the back. He looked as confused as me. Until it hit me and I realized all these negroes are trifling.

“Wait!” I yelled over everybody, making them hush up. “It’s not Seungwoo’s baby!” Seungwoo’s eyes widened and his ears turned as red as a tomato. They all turned to me like I had lost my mind.

“Then whose is it?” Mom asked.

“Who do you think? Devante’s!” I told her.

Mama about had a conniption when I said that. She gasped and put her hand to her head, sinking down into her chair. Zenobia grabbed her other hand. That woman was so overdramatic.

“But you said you broke up,” Zahir said.

“We broke up 3 weeks ago. I’m 7 weeks pregnant,” I explained. “That bum nigga is the baby daddy dammit.”

“Does he know?” Monique asked.

Well if I had to explain my pregnancy, I might as well explain everything. “I told him, turned out that he was cheating on me with a coworker and he kicked me out. The trick told people at work and they were gonna push me out so that was why I quit. Seungwoo was the first person I called and he gave me a place to stay and a job at his company.” Crickets. Nothing but crickets.

Zabrina was the first one to say something. “So you’ve been living with Seungwoo all this time?”

I nodded. “And before anyone decides to roll up on that nigga’s house, Seungwoo already blacked his eye too.” I had to say that because my father sure would load up all the men in his truck and take them to his house. My family did not play.

Daddy put his hand on Seungwoo’s shoulder who turned to him. “I always knew you were a good man. Thank you for looking after my hard-headed daughter.” That was sweet, but did he really have to shade me in the middle of it?

“You don’t have to thank me,” Seungwoo told him before he turned to look at me. “I’ll always look after her.” My hormones were not equipped for this. I reached up and turned his face to look forward, making everybody laugh.

Now that the mood was lifted, we went back to eating, talking, laughing, just acting a whole fool. Of course now, Mom was overfilling both Seungwoo’s and my plate and alcohol was kept far away from me.


	8. Damn, We're Both Crying

We waved once more at Zafirah’s family before pulling out and heading home. About 6 containers of food had been piled into the backseat which I was pretty damn happy about. Zafirah’s mom cooks the best food hands down.

“That went pretty well,” Zafirah said. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see her looking at me.

“It did,” I agreed. To be honest, it seemed like it was a little touch and go in there but it worked out great. I didn’t think that her family would it take it that well that we were living together or that she was pregnant. Speaking about pregnancy…

“Am I missing something because I don’t think I implied at any point of the night that we were together? Why would they think you were my baby daddy?” Zafirah asked. Good thing she brought it up because I wasn’t too sure how to approach it. When Zafirah announced that she was pregnant, I definitely was not expecting to get congratulated too. _I mean-_ Nope we were not going down that road. I didn’t even finish the thought. “What were you talking about in the den?”

“Mostly work and sports,” I told her. I was telling the truth, for the most part. The conversation did consist mainly of work and sports, a little catching up on life. But there was a tiny part that wasn’t about that where I may or may not have admitted some important piece of information based around my feelings for Zafirah. I wasn’t going to get into that though and Zafirah really didn’t need to know. “I didn’t say anything about you being pregnant or me being the father.”

Zafirah huffed and crossed her arms across her chest, her cheeks puffed up as she pouted. She looked really cute and I smiled at her adorable expression. “Where would they even get that? Oh, they irritate me so much. We’re not going back for the next family dinner.”

I bit my lips to keep from smiling. I caught how she said we as in her and me. I definitely liked being a we especially if that we had Zafirah in it.

I let her be in her feelings and rant, nodding and agreeing where I was supposed to. She didn’t mean any of it and come this time next month, we would be right back at her parents’ house eating that good food. If there was anything I had learned about the Hughes family in the time that I’ve known them, it is the fact that they get on each other’s nerves and they love every minute of it.

The first time I experienced her family and all of their quirks, I was scared that they might actually fight each other. Whether it be because Zabrina kept pushing buttons, Zafirah was saying slick comments, Zahir was not listening, or Zenobia was doing a combination of all three. They knew how to get on each other’s nerves. It was just how they interacted and communicated.

But they also were extremely loyal. If Zafirah hadn’t told her Dad that I already got to Devante, he would have taken us all to the dumbass’s house to handle business. And I sure would have been a willing participant in it because I still didn’t think that that bitch had gotten what he deserved.

Suddenly I realized how quiet it had gotten and glanced over at Zafirah. She was dead asleep in the seat. I kept the music low and didn’t make any noise the rest of the drive home.

When we finally got there, I didn’t even try to wake her up. I just turned the car off, ran around the side, and picked her up out the car. She shifted a little bit and pressed her arms together.

“Are we home?” she asked. Her voice was quiet and thick with sleep.

“Yeah,” I whispered. She took a deep breath and turned into my shirt, moaning softly. I tried not to jostle her too much as I brought her in. She already weighed about nothing, but she looked even smaller in my arms, more vulnerable.

Zafirah was a strong-willed, hard-headed girl who acted very tough. She had the fists to back up her smart mouth too. That was the image she portrayed to the world and it was hard to get her to soften up. During times like these though, I felt really lucky to see this side of her. Because as amazing as rough and tumble Zafirah was, soft and gentle Zafirah was just as amazing.

I laid her down in her bed and she grabbed at my sleeve when I went to turn around. I looked back at her and her eyes were half-open. “Thanks Seungwoo. Love you.”

I leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Love you too. Good night.”

“Good night.”

The next few weeks consisted of me doing late night food runs (Zafirah was Shake Shack’s new best customer), Zafirah falling asleep very easily any and everywhere (she fell asleep in the entryway once without even taking off her shoes), and a lot of morning sickness (which is horribly named because it doesn’t happen just in the morning). Her emotions were also still a little all over the place.

Anything could set her off and I meant anything. I was just working on my laptop one day and she almost murdered me because the sound of my typing was annoying her. She would go from just fine to pissed off to depressed in like 10 minutes and usually I was the victim. Just my existence had seemed to irritate her.

But I never held it against her because she was literally creating another life. So, if she had to use me as her punching bag or shoulder to cry on, I let her. We were in this together and I was going to do anything she needed me to do. Even if that meant going to the store at 3AM because Zafirah was craving hot Cheetos and then holding her hair back at 4AM because she was throwing up hot Cheetos.

I made sure to take a picture of her every week and by the 12th week she was starting to show. Which also meant it was time for another checkup.

“Still feel nauseous?” I asked Zafirah.

She was sitting on the table, her legs kicking back and forth. “Nope,” she shook her head. “I feel pretty good now. Apparently, my mom had a lot of morning sickness when she was pregnant with me too and the smell of old spice would make her throw up.” It would explain why she got so sick at her parents’ house. Her dad used every old spice produce under the sun.

The door opened, stopping our conversation. The doctor came in smiling, a dimple prominent in his cheek. “Good morning.”

“Good morning Dr. Lim,” Zafirah said.

He walked over, chart in hand. “You know you can call me Sejun. We’ve known each other forever.”

“I like to think that Dr. Lim will be the one staring at my vagina in 6 months, not Seungwoo’s college drinking buddy Sejun,” she said and I snorted.

“He’s one of the best OB/GYNs in the state,” I reminded her and she waved me off. Sejun took it all in jest. Nothing Zafirah could say would phase him. He had always been a relaxed person which was a good thing when you delivered babies every day.

“How’s your morning sickness?” Sejun asked, grabbing some gloves to put.

Zafirah groaned. “Horrible. I hate throwing up.”

“Don’t we all. Go ahead and lay back for me,” Sejun told her. She leaned back on the table. “Mind if I lift up your shirt?”

“Wasn’t that your old line you used to use on girls?” Zafirah said sarcastically and I lightly swatted her thigh. I swore I could never take this girl anywhere. Sejun laughed.

“Be nice,” I told her.

She stuck her tongue out at me but sighed. “Go ahead.” Her shirt was lifted to show her slightly larger stomach. She had developed a baby bump. It was small, but still noticeable.

“This is gonna be a little cold,” Sejun warned before he poured gel on her stomach and took out a wand. “Ready to see your baby?” Zafirah nodded. He pressed the wand to her stomach and started moving it around. At first the screen was black and gray and I didn’t know what I was looking at. Then the little gray shape on the screen. “There they are.”

I looked to Zafirah who was staring at the screen and her hand was trembling. I took it with my own hands and held it tightly. Suddenly it hit me. There was a baby in there. We were actually going to have a baby. God it didn’t really feel real until this moment when Baby Z was sitting there on the screen.

“It’s too early to tell the gender. We should be able to find out around 20 weeks,” Sejun told us.

Zafirah sniffled and wiped at her eyes. “Dammit Sejun, you got me out here crying like a little bitch.”

“Do you want to hear the heartbeat?” he asked. She nodded quickly.

*Bump* *Bump* *Bump*

The low thrumming filled the room and Zafirah squeezed my hand tighter. Tears were falling freely from her eyes and running down her cheeks. I was so focused on Zafirah that I didn’t even feel my own tears. She turned to look at me and reached up to wipe at my face. “About time you cried. I’m sick of being the only emotional one.”

I let out a watery laugh. Hearing that strong heartbeat broke something in me because I knew right then and there that I would do anything to protect that little thing in there. I would do anything to protect our baby.

“Why you got us in here looking crazy, Sejun? You foul for that,” Zafirah said with no strength behind it.

Sejun stayed smiling the entire time, dimple deep in his cheek. “That part always gets the parents. Let’s get you cleaned up huh?” After getting all the gel off of Zafirah’s stomach and her spending the entire time pouting because she cried, Sejun gave us some information.

“So, when do I stop throwing up at the thought of old spice?” she asked him.

“Your hormones are going to start mellowing out so it should start calming down soon as well as the mood swings. Your fatigue also should be lessening,” he explained.

Thank god! Yes, I was going to be whatever she needed me to be and do whatever she needed me to do. I also liked not worrying that she was actually going to lose it and stab me in my sleep or puke in my car. And I could finally stop worrying about her falling asleep in inconvenient places. This was the best appointment ever. Nothing could kill my mood right now.

“You may start experiencing headaches and dizziness. Make sure you drink plenty of water and you snack regularly, you’re eating for two,” Sejun told her before turning to me. “Seungwoo, your job is to be a good daddy and make sure she eats.”

I was starting to think I needed new friends because this was not the first time Sejun has made a daddy joke. To make matters worse, I was pretty sure he got Seungsik in on it too. Would it be bad manners to hit the doctor if they irritated you?

Zafirah took care of it for me and swatted at his head. “Stop playing around before I smack you even harder. Am I good to tell people?”

“Your chances of a miscarriage have dropped pretty significantly and you’re not high risk, but it’s completely up to you and when you feel ready,” he told her.

“Seungwoo!” Zafirah yelled as she barged into my room with a pillow in hand. She was wearing an oversized shirt that kind of looked like one of my shirts that I lost. “Let’s have a sleepover!”

“What?” was my oh so intelligent answer.

“Let’s have a sleepover,” she repeated, diving onto my bed.

“Zafirah we live together,” I reminded her. What the hell did she mean sleepover? She literally sleeps in the room across the hall from me. Every day is a sleepover for us.

She sucked her teeth and spread out like a starfish. The woman barely took up a quarter of my king-sized bed. “I know that asshole. I’m talking about a sleepover in **your** room where we sleep in **your** bed.” She must have had fully lost her mind. The doctor’s appointment today made her too emotional and short circuited her brain. “It’ll be fun and your bed is more than big enough.”

“Usually when women are in my bed, we’re not sleeping,” I pointed out.

“Ew,” she said, nose scrunched in disgust. “Nobody wants to know about that.”

I climbed on the bed and crawled so that I was over her. “You sure you don’t want to know because I could give you a demonstration.” She looked up at me with a glint in her eyes, her tongue swiping over her lips. I could have reached out and caught her tongue with my mouth.

She slipped out from under me. “There you go thinking you’re smooth. C’mon let’s have a sleepover.”

“Fine,” I relented.

She cheered and immediately started to burrow under the covers before peeking out at me. “Get in.”

I wanted to groan. Only I could have the most beautiful girl in the world begging to get in my bed and it be completely platonic. What was my life?


	9. Seungwoo Jr.

Seungwoo slid under the covers, turning on his side to look at me. I had the duvet pulled up to my chin. I wanted to lay in Seungwoo’s bed and never come out. His mattress was as soft as a cloud and his sheets felt luxurious. _I bet this dude buys 1000 thread Egyptian cotton._ They smelled just like him and it was a scent I could drown in.

“Remember our first sleepover?” I brought up and he shuddered. I couldn’t hold in my giggle at the thought of it.

“I still have nightmares if that’s what you mean,” he said and I pushed at his shoulder. He was so overdramatic sometimes. The sleepover was not that bad.

It had happened in high school as did a lot of our first time shenanigans. Seungwoo and I spent a lot of time at each other’s houses so it would be no surprise if one of us rolled up with the other in tow. That particular day we were at my house and everything was normal. No one had suspected that there would be a sudden snowstorm that shut down all the roads.

“I still can’t believe your parents expected you to come home with almost three feet of snow,” I laughed. When the snowstorm started, my parents had already started to get nervous about Seungwoo driving home. The conditions weren’t horrible, but he was still just a teenager and they felt responsible for him.

He shook his head and sighed. “And your mom had to get on the phone. They were not expecting her to just tell them no.”

“You really think she would have let one of her babies out there in that mess?” I said. Once they saw that the storm was not letting up anytime soon and the snow was sticking, they told Seungwoo that he was going to stay the night. His parents (mainly his mom) were completely against it, but the thing about my mother is she don’t play when it comes to the safety of any child. So she hopped on that phone with a quickness and told them that Seungwoo would be staying the night and could come home when the roads were clear, end of discussion. “Didn’t Daddy give you a whole talk?”

“Why do you think I still have nightmares?” he said, making me roll my eyes. “He said if I even thought about sneaking into your room, he would knock me silly.”

When I thought back about it, I remembered being so excited that my best friend could sleep over. But then I got scared that he would see me in my ugly nightclothes with my bonnet on. Don’t you remember them times when you were young and you thought you had to be extra cute at all times around your crush, even in your sleep? I would have dropped dead if Seungwoo saw me as anything but cute. Oh, how the times had changed.

Still one thought stayed in the back of my mind, a little question. I shifted a little closer to him. “Did you think about sneaking into my room?”

He paused for a second, looking at me with a glint in his eyes that disappeared as soon as it came. The corners of his lips went up into a goofy smile. “I was too scared to even think about it. Even if I did, I swear every little creak woke up your dad.”

“To be honest, I think he set an alarm clock,” I said. “He kept coming to check on me.” The old man thought I didn’t notice but I was aware. How could I not be with his heavy footsteps in the middle of the night, serial killer sounding ass? I honestly think the only person who got any sleep that night was Zenobia.

It was so ironic now. My dad tried his hardest to make sure Seungwoo and I wouldn’t do anything back then and now he shook the man’s hand when he thought he had impregnated me, telling him to take care of me. It was crazy to even think about it.

Seungwoo suddenly pulled me closer and dipped his head into the groove of my neck. I hoped my sudden inhale wasn’t too noticeable. His nose and mouth dragged across my neck as he breathed in deeply.

That tingle started to spark up only it felt a lot stronger this time, shooting electricity through me. Pregnancy hormones or not, I had a fine, shirtless man pressed up against me. And I haven’t gotten any in the past three months? These were the kind of situations that got me pregnant in the first place.

“So, I was thinking,” I managed to get out. Seungwoo hummed and it took everything within me to not jump out of my skin. _You can’t be humming up on my neck like that._ “should we have Sejun just tell us the gender as soon as possible or wait until I pop them out?”

“It’s up to you but it’s easier to have a name picked out if you already know,” he pointed out. He was not wrong there. “Do you have any ideas yet?”

“Not really,” I told him. Baby names hadn’t been on the forefront of my mind. I was mainly focused on not throwing up all the time or falling asleep as soon as I sat in a comfortable chair. “Do you?”

“I like Seungwoo Jr.”

Was this man serious? “I’m not naming my baby after you. We don’t even know if it’s a boy. And even if it is, I’m not setting my child up like that. A little black kid with a Korean name.” I could feel him smile into my neck and I scoffed. I really can’t stand Han Seungwoo. He plays around too much and one of these days I was going to smack the shit out of him.

“I haven’t thought of any yet either,” he admitted. “Do you want a girl or a boy?”

I could say one of those cliché things that people say like ‘It doesn’t matter as long as they have ten fingers and ten toes’ or some bullshit like that. But I’ve never really been one to go the cliché route and if I sounded like an asshole to someone, oh fucking well. “I want a girl. Imagine a mini Zafirah, she’d be so cute.”

He moved his way down so that his head was pressed into my chest. I rested my head on his and began to stroke his soft hair. “I’d like that. Little you running around, fucking shit up when she doesn’t get her way and I tell her no.”

“Please you can’t even tell me no,” I said. “She’d have you wrapped around her finger.”

“It would be worth it,” he said.

It was my turn to smile. I really couldn’t think of a better person to go through this with.

I sat across from Quanetta, menu in hand. We were sitting in a cute little Italian restaurant for a lunch date. It was more than just a normal friend outing though because I was going to tell Quanetta that I was pregnant.

After telling my family and seeing their reaction, I was less hesitant to want to say it. Plus talking to my mom about it made me feel less ashamed about the stupid stereotype and pity. It had been killing me not to tell Quanetta because she was my best friend and I told her just about everything. She should be the last person I was worried about judging and pitying me.

She might have started getting suspicious though because she had been trying to get me to go out with her since she found out about the breakup and I kept turning her down. Parties and clubbing used to be pre-Devante Zafirah’s thing so naturally she had wanted to get back into it.

But post-Devante Zafirah had a baby on the way and was no longer a party animal. I had traded in my stiletto heels and bodycon dresses for oversized sweatshirts and fuzzy slippers. Speaking of clothes, it wouldn’t be long before I had to start shopping for maternity clothes. That was gonna be fun.

“I’m thinking a nice glass of Pinot Grigio or maybe Sauvignon Blanc,” she said looking over the wine menu before looking up at me. “What about you?”

It was now or never. “Actually I’m not drinking,” I told her.

Her eyebrows shot up to the ceiling and she closed the menu. “Since when don’t you drink? You never turn down alcohol.”

I clenched my jaw and pursed my lips. Maybe I needed a new best friend because she was becoming as trifling as my siblings. Why were these people always painting me out to be an alcoholic who can’t say no to booze? Rude asses.

“Bitch, I can turn down a drink whenever the fuck I want. Now,” I told her as I sat up straight. “Do I look any different?”

She studied over me for a few moments. “Your skin is popping, like melanin glowing. Your titties are bigger,” she said, mouth pulled to one side as she tried to figure out. Finally I pulled my sundress closer to my stomach. Her eyes widened and she screamed, making everyone stare at us. “You’re pregnant!”

I nodded and she hopped out of her seat to run around the table and hug me. The rest of the patrons turned back to their own conversations after hearing her. Once she had finished freaking out, she sat back down and leaned over the table on her hands.

“How far along are you?”

“3 months.”

She gave me a look. “Did you know when I came by Seungwoo’s apartment?” I nodded. “That’s why you didn’t whoop that nigga or his bitch’s ass.”

“Don’t be mistaken. Once I drop Baby Z and I see them on the streets, it’s a wrap,” I told her, and I fully meant it. They had me fucked up, embarrassing me like that.

She reached over and highfived me. “I know that’s right. So is it Seungwoo’s? Is that why you moved in with him?”

“Why does everyone think Seungwoo is the father?” I asked.

“Because he’s fine as fuck, you’ve known each other forever, and you’re in love with each other,” she listed.

“No, we’re not,” I said and she gave me her signature ‘Bitch are you kidding me?’ look that I knew all too well. Her left eyebrow raised, her nostrils flared, and her lips would purse together. “We’re not!”

She rolled her eyes to punctuate her look. “So, you’re not in love with him?”

“Well I’m not, not in love with him,” I admitted, and her eyes narrowed. I told my best friend just about everything, but I didn’t feel like telling her about this right now. So, I changed the subject. “That’s not the point. No, he’s not my baby daddy. Devante is.”

Quanetta made a noise of disgust. Damn, did no one like that nigga? Why didn’t anyone tell me or at least slap me and pull me away from him? I could have avoided this whole situation if someone did that. “Does he know?”

“Sadly,” I told her. “Remember how I told you I found Finch in my robe in my house?” She nodded. “Well there’s more to the story. The reason I work at Hankang now is because Mumford found out I was pregnant.”

She gasped and the waiter decided to come at that exact moment. We put in our orders quickly. “My friend is pregnant so can you be a little more careful with her food, please.” Leave it to my best friend, she was always looking out for me.

“Of course,” he said before disappearing.

She turned back towards me. “Thanks girl.”

“No problem, I got to look out for godchild now,” she said. _Trifling_.

“You want to fight my sisters for that title, go ahead.”

She waved me off as she took a sip of her water. Once the glass was back on the table, she told me to continue. “So how those motherfuckers at Mumford knew before I did?”

Just thinking about it made my blood boil. “The day I found out I was pregnant, I told Devante. I guess as soon as I told him, he told the side bitch. And Sparrow took it upon herself to send out a mass email. All of which I have no idea about. Girl it wasn’t even an hour later after I get to work, I get pulled into HR. They started giving me this long winded speech about how they’re so happy for me and excited for this new chapter in my life. You know the speech.”

“The same one they give to all the pregnant women and then you never see them again,” Quanetta said. “Yeah I know it. So what did you say?”

“I basically told them ‘Fuck you’ and I quit. You’re not about to push me out of your shitty company, especially because I was the best manager they had. I walked my happy ass out of there and did not look back.”

“That’s right, best friend!” Quanetta said. “I been knew they weren’t shit and if they want to push out their best manager, let them. Everyone knows the bird can’t close deals and the clients loved you. I wouldn’t be surprised if they left Mumford when they find out you quit.”

I shrugged, but I agreed with her. I always liked to establish a rapport with the clients, sending them handwritten notes and little presents on important occasions. It bred loyalty and loyalty is everything in business. Here’s the thing about these startups, the people behind them will always have more ideas they want to bring to life. And if you already had a relationship with them and did great work, they would continue to come back to you instead of hopping to whoever had the best deal.

“I still can’t get over the fact that the nigga knew and still kicked you out,” Quanetta broke me out of my thoughts. “He’s lucky I’m not crazy like I used to be, or I would suggest riding up to the house and burning something in the grass and painting his car with eggs.”

I laughed because I knew she was completely serious. A week after I had met Quanetta, I got roped into one of her revenge plots against some dude who ghosted her. She smeared tuna all over his front door and windows and threw dog food at his garage.

“Is he gonna be in the baby’s life though?”

I shook my head. “He said he wasn’t ready and I don’t care if I never see that fool again. Plenty of women are single mothers and they kill it. I have an awesome support system and I know the baby will be loved no matter what. I don’t need him.”

“I know that’s right,” she said, cheering me with her water. “So let’s talk names.”

We spent the rest of lunch talking about the baby and how I was going to prepare for it. Before I knew it, Quanetta had claimed party planner position for my baby shower and was trying to convince me to do a gender reveal party too.


	10. Take the Soju Away Quicker Next Time

I didn’t know if I had said or did something, but Zafirah wasn’t being a lot more touchy than usual. Not that I was complaining because I could keep my hands on her in some way, shape, or form every day for the rest of my life. And this was a much better alternative to her threatening to stab me every hour. But still.

We had always been touchy feely best friends. I mean, our first full interaction was me carrying her to nurse’s office after launching a soccer ball into her face. Holding hands, hugging, and cuddling were all normal things we did that, in hindsight, probably looked sus to everybody else. It was normal for the two of us though which was the important thing. Hell, we even kissed each other from time to time. Not on the lips of course. _Though one of these days, I might have to just go for it._

All that to say, touching was a regular part of our friendship. Zafirah had kicked it up to the nth degree though. She was always stuck to my side now, right up under me whenever we were home.

Like right now. I was cooking dinner and then I had a Zafirah latch onto my back like we were koalas.

“Seungwoo,” she whined.

“What’s wrong this time?” I asked her.

She groaned and sighed before finally saying, “Nothing.” It had become an everyday routine for us. Zafirah would glue herself to me and whine, but she wouldn’t tell me about what.

Altogether, I was the most confused I had ever been in my life. So, I did what any smart man would do in my situation.

I called my older sister.

“If you’re calling to ask me to get Mom off your back about marriage, you’re out of luck,” was the first thing Sunhwa said to me when she picked up the phone. “Her New Year’s prayer was literally for you to get married in the next year.”

 _Of course it was. Because praying for the health of her children and grandchildren was too easy._ “That’s not why I called,” I told her before taking a deep breath. I had to maneuver the conversation in a way that I didn’t tell her Zafirah was pregnant or that she was living with me now. Piece of cake. “I need your advice on pregnancy.”

Brief pause. “Who did you get pregnant?”

“No one!” I said. “It’s for my friend. He got his girlfriend pregnant and she’s acting weird.”

“Weird in what way?” she asked.

“She’s always under him, like she’s always touching him whenever she can. He can’t move two inches without her being on him,” I tried to explain.

“Uh huh and how far along is she?”

“Three months.”

“How often are they having sex?”

What? “What does that have to do with anything?” I asked, trying not to sound flustered. I couldn’t give myself away.

She sighed very loudly and I could imagine her with her head in her hand and shaking it in disappointment. “Because Baby Brother, her hormones have gone into overdrive.” But Sejun said her hormones would start to calm down since her first trimester was over. A fact that I pointed out to her. “Not her crazy emotion hormones, her sex hormones. She’s horny.” Suddenly, I did not want to have this conversation anymore. “She probably felt like shit during the first trimester and now that that’s over, her libido has kicked into overdrive. Tell your _friend_ that if he wants her to stop being clingy, have sex with her.”

After giving me that little tidbit, she said her goodbyes and hung up. Leaving me to process the information she had just told me.

“I can’t have sex with her,” I said, downing another shot. The soju burned a little at my throat, but the burn felt good. It was keeping me sane.

“Why not?” Seungsik asked. “You’ve been fantasizing about it since high school.” I glared at him and he shrugged, drinking a little more slowly than me. “Am I wrong?”

I poured myself another glass. “But these are different circumstances than high school.”

Chan rolled his eyes hard enough to remind me of Zafirah. I drank the next shot quickly to fight my treacherous mind. “So what if she’s pregnant? Are you not in love with her anymore? Because you sure aren’t acting like it.”

“Of course, I’m in love with her!” I defended. My friends looked unimpressed with my confession. I couldn’t really blame them though. The poor guys had been witnessing my bullshit first-hand since they met me. Even Subin could tell how bad it was and he had known Zafirah for the least amount of time. _Way to make me feel pathetic._ “But…”

“But what?”

“What if she doesn’t actually love me back? What if it’s just the hormones? I mean, we’ve all seen the guys that she’s dated. I’m clearly not her type. I don’t want it to be a convenience thing because she just needs someone to fuck her and as soon as she pops the baby out, she kicks me to the curb,” I told them.

Zafirah had been my best friend for years so I had been there for all of her relationships, serious or not. I knew all her boyfriends and flings, hell I even knew the guys she would have brief crushes on. And they all had one thing in common. They weren’t Asian. She dated mostly Black guys with a White guy thrown in here and there, but she had never dated an Asian guy.

I poured myself another shot and downed it. It was never a good feeling to see the person you’re in love with get involved with someone else. It was an even worse feeling when the people they kept getting involved with were nothing like you. And then you would have to swallow the bitter pill that made you understand that they would never want you.

That part sucked the most.

“Hyung, did you ever think that maybe she thought the same thing about you?” Chan asked slowly. “You’ve never dated a Black girl so she might think she’s not your type either.”

“It’s not like I was in love with those girls,” I told them.

“And I don’t think Zafirah was really in love with the guys she dated either,” Chan suggested.

 _What?_ “Then why would she date them?”

Seungsik poured me another shot before pouring one for himself. He drank it and cleared his throat before putting his hands on the table. “Because she’s got a good heart like you under all that attitude and she doesn’t actually like to hurt people’s feelings. But I’ve seen the way she looks at you and I know she doesn’t want anyone but you.”

What Chan said next really made me think. “Didn’t you ever notice that if one of you two got out of a relationship, the other one got into one? It’s like a freaking cycle with you two. Hell, it’s happening right now. Zafirah gets broken up right in the middle of your mom setting you up on dates.”

“The only thing that’s not working for you two is timing.”

(Third Person POV)

Zafirah rushed to the door, someone ringing the doorbell incessantly. At first she was a little scared because it was late at night and she was home alone. Who was coming by at this hour and why did they want to get in so quickly? But then she saw the camera and sighed.

Heo Chan and Kang Seungsik were holding up what looked like a drunk Seungwoo.

She opened the door and sure enough, she could smell the strong scent of alcohol. They brought him inside while Zafirah stood by with her arms crossed. “I’m guessing guy’s night was fun,” she said with pursed lips.

“Sorry Zafirah,” Seungsik apologized with a wobbly Seungwoo. “He had a lot on his mind.”

“Alright, I got it from here boys,” she said, grabbing Seungwoo from them and putting his arm around her shoulder. “Go on and get home. I’ll put this one to bed.”

The two apologized once more before scampering out of the apartment, leaving Zafirah with a very drunk Seungwoo. She began to lead him up the stairs to his bedroom.

“What was on your mind that made you drink so damn much?” Zafirah asked, mainly speaking to herself. With how red his face was and how out of it he looked, she was not expecting any sort of response from him. Her goal was just making sure he didn’t throw up on her or fall down those stairs. They were gorgeous when she first moved in, now they were a pain in her ass.

“You,” he slurred.

“What?” she asked in confusion.

“You were on my mind. You’re always on my mind,” he confessed. “How can I think about anyone but you? My beautiful, funny, smart Zafirah, the most gorgeous, amazing woman in the world.”

Zafirah didn’t say anything. This was not the first time she had dealt with a drunk Seungwoo and she wasn’t surprised when he started waxing poetic. One time, he spent 30 minutes talking about Sejun’s dimple. It was a normal drunk habit of his, so she just continued to help him into his room. She got him to sit down on the bed and took off his shoes.

When she went to unbutton his shirt, he grabbed her hands. “Yes?”

He smiled dopily up at her, fringe covering his eyes. “You smell good, like coconuts.”

“Because I just washed my hair,” she told him before pulling her hands away gently. She started working on the buttons of his shirt.

“I talked to Sunhwa,” he told her.

“Oh really? What about?”

“You.” Again, she was confused. Why was he talking to his sister about her? Zafirah was cool with almost the entire Han family, save for his mother. But why would she be a topic of conversation for them? “I asked her why you were being so clingy.”

Zafirah cocked her head to the side as she continued unbuttoning his shirt. Seungwoo wasn’t being exactly cooperative since he kept moving around. She pressed on, wanting a little more information. “And what did she say?”

“She said it was because I haven’t slept with you.”

Zafirah paused what she was doing and looked up at Seungwoo. The dopey smile was gone, and he was just staring at her now. “What?”

“Do you want me to sleep with you?”

“Is that why you got drunk?” she asked, standing up and crossing her arms.

He nodded and reached up to put his hands on her waist, pulling her to stand in between his legs. He looked up at her. Zafirah pushed his bangs out of his face to get a full look at him. It was easy to tell he was drunk, but his eyes looked serious.

“I don’t want any of those girls Mom is trying to set me up with. I only want you,” he confessed, his voice barely above a whisper. But in their silent apartment, it might as well have echoed through the halls. “Zafirah, I lo- “

She pressed a finger to his lips to make him stop. “You’re not gonna remember a lick of this in the morning. If you’re planning to say what I think you’re gonna say, you better do it sober, buddy.” He nodded and she moved her finger, choosing to wrap her arms around his neck.

“I’m gonna break our cycle this time,” he told her.

“What cycle?”

There was no response. He just pulled her closer until there was no space between them and reached up, pressing their lips together.

Zafirah was caught off guard, but she quickly reciprocated. Their lips moved together, slowly, passionately. They took their time savoring each other, enjoying the other’s taste. Until Zafirah pulled away and bit her bottom lip. She knew if they kept going, they wouldn’t stop.

“Like I said, you better do it sober,” she told him. She undid the rest of his shirt buttons and slipped off his shirt before helping him lay down. She reached down and pressed a more chaste kiss to his forehead. “Goodnight baby.”

“Night.”

Sure enough, when Seungwoo woke up the next morning, he wasn’t even sure how he got to bed.


	11. Why are there Pokemon in My Office?

Seungwoo ambled into the kitchen and all but collapsed at the table.

"Good morning Sunshine," I said happily. All I got in return was a groan. Oh he was definitely hungover. I set a plate of bacon and eggs and a mug of coffee in front of him. "I was gonna be an asshole and not make coffee seeing as you banned me from it and hid the container, but I decided to be the good person that I am and go pick some up from the convenience store. You're welcome."

"I love you so much," he told me before drinking the piping hot coffee like it was water. _Must be nice._

I leaned back against the counter and looked at him. Something told me that he didn't mean the kind of love he was gonna say last night. "So, do you remember anything about last night?"

He picked up a piece of bacon and ate it before answering. "Seungsik taking the bottle of soju away and that's it. Did they bring me home?" _Just like I said, he doesn't remember shit. Well I'm not about to burst that bubble._

I nodded and ate my own piece of bacon. He looked like he wanted to say something, but I gave him a look that said I dared him to. The asshole had been nagging me about eating healthy since the first three months all I consumed was fast food. This time he was smart and didn't say anything.

"They brought you back and me being the amazing roommate that I am put your drunk ass to bed."

He winced and took another sip of coffee. "Did I say anything?" _Nope, definitely not bursting that bubble._

"Just that I'm beautiful, funny, smart, and the most amazing woman in the world which are all facts," I told him before turning around to get started on the dishes. I could hear the chair scrape against the floor and felt his presence behind me. His arms rested on the counter as he pressed his body against me in a back hug. His head rested on my shoulder. I started wringing the towel in my hands like it was a stress ball.

"Well, I wasn't wrong. Thanks for putting up with my drunk ass," he told me. "Did I mention that I love you?"

"You might have said that a few times," I told him, cursing at myself for sounding breathless. _Damn bitch, you're sounding thirsty!_ I cleared my throat and turned around, looking up at him with what I hoped was indifference. "You need to shower because you still kind of smell like outside."

He nodded and backed up, grabbing another piece of bacon before going back upstairs. Once I saw he was out of sight, I let out the breath that I had been holding. There was too much going on in my head right now for him to be pushing up on me.

How did I feel about a very drunk Seungwoo basically confessing some type of romantic feelings for me and kissing me? I was having a few mixed emotions about the event to be honest.

This was not my first time with an inebriated Han Seungwoo, so I was very used to his drunken habits. The whole confession of love was not a new thing for me. He regularly confessed his love for someone whenever he got especially wasted. Seungsik, Sejun, Chan, Quanetta in a hilarious moment that I still have the video of had all been subject to it. And as his best friend and the person who spends the most time with, I had been on the receiving end of his confessions many a time.

We always told each other that we loved each other. It wasn't anything special, just best friends expressing their affection for one another, so I never took him serious during one of his episodes. And the most it would ever come to usually was him passing out on my shoulder or lap after he finished waxing poetic.

However, that was the first time he actually kissed me. It made me realize that he actually meant what he was saying. Which made things a little complicated.

I was in love with Seungwoo, I mean I had been since we were in high school. And it wasn't like I hadn't been trying to make something shake there. But every time I got the courage to tell him or show him, he would already have a girl. And I was never one to sit around and be miserable about a boy. Even if the boy was my best friend who I was hopelessly in love with.

So, I would just focus on living my own life and talk to a few other people. By the time Seungwoo was single again, I was already in a new relationship. _That was probably the cycle he was talking about._ This had been happening as long as we had known each other.

And for the first time the both of us were single. The perfect time for confessions of love and sudden passionate kisses and finally being together, right?

Wrong!

Because our timing sucked yet again and I was pregnant with another man's baby. Yeah it was all peaches and cream now, but what about when I actually looked pregnant? Or when I gave birth?

He's all in now, but would he feel the same way once I actually popped the thing out and it wasn't a little Blasian baby? It would be a fully African-American child in all its melanated glory. Would he be okay with that? With raising another man's child?

I gave my friend credit where credit was due, and the dude was honorable. He always did the right thing, and he was fiercely protective of the people around him. But it could cloud his judgment sometimes and make him do things that weren't the best for him. I didn't want him to tie himself down to me because in the back of his head he thought it was the right thing to do. I refused to subject myself, him, or my baby to that kind of relationship. I would rather we just stay friends.

Could I be wrong? Absolutely and I hoped that I was. But I couldn't take that risk on the off chance that I was right.

So no matter how much I loved Seungwoo (and I would love him for the rest of my life), I wasn't going to do anything based on the word of drunk Seungwoo. Sober Seungwoo would have to convince me.

Sober Seungwoo had not said, mentioned, or even hinted at any kind feelings he may have been harboring towards me and it has been a week since it happened. He didn't even bring up the alleged conversation with his sister where she told him that he needs to fuck me so I'll stop being clingy.

I would just like to point out that I was not clingy, I just liked physical touch.

Anyways, it had a been a week. Seeing as how nothing was happening, I took it upon myself to forget what happened and move on. Like I said, I was never one to sit around and be miserable about a boy. So, it was life as usual.

"Miss Hughes," Subin met me at the elevator, looking a little nervous. He was never nervous around me which means someone else was making him nervous. I narrowed my eyes. I don't like people making my precious assistant nervous. "There's a client waiting in your office."

"Which client is this? I already met with Mrs. Langston," I said.

"Cho Enterprises."

I opened the door to my office and was met with a hyperactive man running around my office with his phone. I sighed. This would be a perfect time to have some coffee so I can relax. I'll just have to settle for water.

"Don't worry, Subin, I got this," I told my assistant who nodded in return. I spoke to my client next who had his phone aimed at my bookshelf. "Seungyoun, what are you doing?"

He paused at looked at me, smile wide and eyes crinkled together. "You have a munchlax next to your binders."

Cho Seungyoun was a very animated young man with a penchant for theatrics and an ear for good music. He was also an old client of mine from my days at Mumford. I helped him launch his music streaming platform that he started in his parents' garage.

He started cheering loudly just about making poor Subin jump out of his skin. I guessed that he had caught his pokemon.

"Subin, could you make us some tea?" I asked the boy. He nodded quickly and left in the direction of the breakroom. I turned back to Seungyoun who was still grinning widely.

"Why didn't you tell me you left Mumford?" he asked, putting his phone away. "You're the only reason I took my business there." He came over to hug me before pausing with his eyes staring at my stomach and his mouth wide open. He looked back up at me with an even bigger smile which I didn't think was possible. "Are you?"

"15 weeks," I confirmed and he started cheering again before closing the distance to hug me, trying to be careful of my bump.

"Congratulations!"

I couldn't stop my smile from forming before I pulled away. "Thank you. Please have a seat. What are you doing here and how did you know I was here?" I waited for him to sit down before I took a seat behind my desk.

He settled back and crossed his left knee over his right. This man could get comfortable anywhere. "Well I have a new business venture and of course I need the best marketing manager in the world to take over. I set up a meeting with Mumford expecting you and imagine my surprise when another person comes in the room. What was her name?" He started snapping his finger to get him to remember. "Robin? Raven? I don't know, someone with a bird name."

I didn't even try to hide my snort, especially because I knew exactly who he was talking about. That was one of the things I loved about Seungyoun. He did not care to try and remember the names of people he didn't like. It was so petty, and I loved every second of it.

"You probably know the girl. Anyway I tried to give her the benefit of the doubt but she sucked. So I sweettalked the nice man at the front desk, Barry, and he told me that you quit and had a brand new job at Hankang. So here I am!"

Oh sweet, sweet Barry. He was the only person I could stomach in that hellhole after Quanetta left. Turned out that he was dating Hankang's receptionist, Kyle. Such a cute couple.

"I have to say, Zafirah, this is a nice upgrade that you got," Seungyoun told me. "You got a beautiful view now and a cute assistant." Subin took that moment to come in with our tea. He set it down in front of us and Seungyoun winked at him, making the poor kid turn red.

"Thank you Subin," I said and he nodded before leaving once more. I took a sip of the tea and internally cursed. It was that damn nettle tea that Seungwoo would always tell me to drink at home. Of course he brought it to the office and of course Subin was in on it. Ever since I told him I was pregnant, he might as well have been a tiny Seungwoo. I discretely pushed my cup to the side before putting my hands together and leaning onto my desk. "So what is this business venture you were thinking about."

Seungyoun mirrored me and leaned forward as well. "Two words. Entertainment Company."

After ironing out the details, Seungyoun hitting on Subin a few more times, and me scolding him for harassing my poor assistant, we shook hands and I walked him to the elevator.

"We should get lunch sometime, my treat," he told me as we hugged one last time. "As a celebration for your pregnancy. And no more disappearing on me. You know these other people don't know how to handle me."

"Of course," I told him. The elevator pinged, signaling its arrival and we broke apart, him keeping a hold on my hands.

"Keep me posted about the baby so I can send extravagantly expensive gifts," he said and I laughed, shaking my head. He gave me one last grin before stepping into the elevator and the doors closed. That was Cho Seungyoun. He was honestly one of my favorite clients to work with.

I sighed before turning back around. "Alright Subinnie, what's next on the agenda?"


	12. I'm Not Paying for a Jet

The work of a CEO was never done. A fact that I had learned fairly quickly when I was usually the last one to leave the office, sometimes after the cleaning staff too. Some would say I was a workaholic. They would not be wrong. I got to work early, went home late, and took some of it home with me.

But with Zafirah around now, a few of those habits had been curbed. Seeing as how Zafirah didn't own a car (I should do something about that), we carpooled. Now she was a workaholic like me and would probably be right alongside me late into the night, but she had a little human to think about now. So I made some changes to my schedule.

Instead of getting there three hours before everyone else, it was not an hour and a half. And rather than leave after 10PM, we left when everybody else left. Except on the off chance that a meeting ran late or I didn't have a choice but to stay late. That was when Zafirah would go home without me, usually being taken by Seungsik, Chan, or Subin. Like tonight.

I rubbed at the back of my aching neck, ready to take a hot shower and go to bed. That meeting had taken much longer than it should have and by the time it had finished, it was well after 9PM. _Going to sleep at 9PM? I've gotten old._

Opening the door to the apartment, I expected everything to be shut off and Zafirah probably upstairs in her room. I took of my shoes and placed my jacket on the coat rack, but as I was about to go up to my room, I stopped in my place. Curled up on the couch with the fluffy black blanket on her lap, Zafirah was dead asleep.

I quietly walked over and squatted down in front of her. "Zafirah," I said softly, slightly shaking her.

Her eyes blinked open and she yawned, stretching her arms above her head. "Your home."

"Why're you sleeping in here?" I asked her.

She sat back and smiled sleepily at me, making my heart skip a beat. "I wanted to wait for you to get home. I made dinner. It's in the microwave."

"Did I ever tell you that I love you?"

"All the time," she said.

I chuckled slightly as I stood up. "Go on to bed. I'm home."

She sleepily nodded and got up, blanket in hand. But she didn't get much further than leaning against me. "You're warm. I like it." I would have to say the same thing. Her warmth washed over me and just eased the tension out of my body.

"Come on," I said, taking it upon myself to lead her upstairs. After getting her settled in and closing my door, I sighed. I didn't realize how lonely it was here until Zafirah moved in. Having someone to sit around with, to cook for, to come home to. It was nice. It was even better that that someone was Zafirah.

This was a life that I could get used to.

If I have to sit through one more of these late night meetings, I was going to start firing anybody who couldn't wrap shit up by 6. It made no damn sense why I was leaving out of the office almost everyday now at 8 or 9. I had a pregnant girl to get back home to.

When I opened the door to my apartment, I was expecting it to be quiet and a possibly asleep Zafirah sitting on the couch. She had started waiting for me to get home before she went to sleep. Normally she still fell asleep, but it was the thought that counted.

And walking a sleepy, cuddly Zafirah to her room had become something of a highlight for me. It was the only thing I looked forward to after these damn meetings.

Except today, there was no sleepy, cute Zafirah to walk to bed. She was wide awake and loud with an equally loud Quanetta. _Should have seen this coming._ "Welcome home!" she called when I closed the door. Her welcoming me home was an act that I never got tired of.

"I'm home," I responded. "Hi Quanetta."

"Hey Seungwoo," she said. "We're planning the gender reveal party. Are you Team Girl or Team Boy?"

"The what party?" was my oh so intelligent response.

"The gender reveal party," she repeated.

I looked to Zafirah. "You hate gender reveal parties. You rant about them every single time you see one on Instagram. You told me if you ever even thought about having a gender reveal party to knock you out." These were all true facts. When the gender reveal party craze started and everybody jumped on the bandwagon, Zafirah was the one running behind the bandwagon with a torch and pitchfork. She almost slapped Zahir and Jasmine when they said they were having a gender reveal party.

"I do, please save me," she said, making Quanetta slap her thigh. "See, she's abusive. Kick her ass out."

Quanetta turned to me and narrowed her eyes. "I dare you Han."

I was not gonna take those odds. So instead of getting my ass whooped, I took a seat next to Zafirah who sneered at me. "Pussy ass bitch."

"I might just go upstairs, I'm kind of tired," I said starting to get up.

Zafirah quickly pulled me to sit back down and sat on my lap for better effect. "You're not going anywhere." I smiled at her and wrapped my arms around her. She rested her arms on mine and leaned back into me. Well it wasn't sleepy Zafirah, but she was still cute.

Quanetta gave us a strange look before focusing again on the topic at hand. "I'm thinking we get a jet that flies over us at the party and drops a bunch of small balls that will be the color of the gender."

"Who's paying for this?" I asked at the same time as Zafirah told her, "Hell no."

Quanetta chose to ignore my question and went to her next suggestion. "We hire actors to dress as superheroes, a woman and a man. Obviously whoever wins is the gender of the baby."

"Absolutely not," Zafirah said.

Never one to be deterred, she went to her next option. "We rent out a really nice hotel and throw bath bombs into the pool to change the color."

"No," Zafirah rejected.

"We takeover an amusement park and the light the entire thing up either pink or blue."

Okay I had to interject at this point because Quanetta's ideas were getting more and more outrageous. "Who's paying for this?" I asked again. It was a completely valid question seeing as how all of these things would cost a small fortune. I wanted to know whose small fortune they were planning on spending.

"That's a great idea seeing as how I don't want a gender reveal party to begin with," Zafirah said.

Quanetta smiled at me and I froze. "Seungwoo, you wanna cut that check?" Oh hell no. Did she really just ask me that? Since when I was financing parties of any kind? Especially a party the mother to be didn't want. _What about the baby shower?_ That's a different story that we will get to at a later date.

"I'm not paying for that shit," I told her pointe blank and I meant it.

"Come on Han. My godchild deserves the best and you got plenty of coin to spare. Think of the baby," she pleaded.

" **Your** godchild?" I asked. Did I miss a conversation or is there an empty spot in my memory? I looked at Zafirah who shook her head at me.

"I haven't decided any godparents yet. She's just lost her mind and is assuming shit," she told me. She gave me a look and I knew immediately what she was thinking. That was a conversation to be had later on. I could respect that so I let that tangent die.

I looked back to Quanetta who rolled her eyes. "And I am thinking about the baby, but also the baby mama who doesn't want a gender reveal party." Zafirah leaned back further into me and I could see her smile.

Quanetta groaned. "What about just popping a balloon with confetti in it? Or a damn basic ass cake? Something."

Zafirah was quiet for a second and I could basically hear the gears turning in her head. She turned to me and I shrugged. That was all she needed from me though before turning back to Quanetta. "Okay, I'll cut a piece of damn cake. But I don't want this to be a huge fucking party. Only family and a few friends."

"Perfect!" Quanetta yelled, clapping her hands together. "Let's talk venues and catering."

I stopped her immediately because she was about to turn it into a production. "We can have it here and cook ourselves." Zafirah nodded in agreement. Quanetta may be Zafirah's other best friend, but I knew her better than anybody else.

After what could only be considered too long discussing party details, Quanetta finally left. I flopped down on the couch in exhaustion. I loved Quanetta, but damn was she a lot to deal with. She reminded of Zafirah, but on steroids. Louder, crazier, and quicker to throw hands. I could only take her in small doses.

When Zafirah finished walking her out, she came back and flopped down on me. She was exhausted too apparently.

"Is her being over gonna be a recurring thing?" I asked.

"Hell no!" Zafirah said. "She's not about to be disturbing my peace all the damn time. Especially with Baby Z on the way."

"Speaking of Baby Z," I started to say, and she groaned. She knew where I was going with this. It was later and we needed to have a conversation. "Who do you have in mind for godparents?" _Real smooth transition there Seungwoo._

I knew she was rolling her eyes at me even though I couldn't see it. "How about I figure out a name before we get into who's gonna be named a godparent?" _Shot down._

"Fair point," I acknowledged.

"I already know you want to claim a spot though," she said.

"Something like that," I said. I did want to claim a spot, but not as a godparent really. Maybe by the time she made her decision on the godparents, I would muster up enough courage to tell her what role I really wanted in her and the baby's life.


	13. Mysterious Stains

"You hate gender reveal parties," Zenobia said. Oh, my dear baby sister, you knew me so well. "I had to keep you from slapping Zahir and Jasmine when they decided to have a gender reveal party."

I sighed and leaned against the counter, my head on my hand. "It was the only way to get Quanetta out my apartment so I could go to bed. So, will you do the cake?"

"Did you really think I was gonna let anyone else do it?" she asked as she piped a rosette on the giant white cake sitting on the counter. "What would I look like if my sister was going to my competitors for a cake? These bakers are already disrespectful as hell as it is, but if that happened? They'd throw it in my face until I died."

Zenobia was a pastry chef. She had been baking since she could use the oven and now she owned a cute little bakery downtown. It really was helpful when we had events and needed some confectionaries. She got her business out there and we got severely discounted baked goods.

I reached over and pulled the cake scrap bowl towards me. "The baby wants it, not me," I said when I saw her look at me crazy. It wasn't like she was going to use them anyway, so why waste it? "You still need that buttercream?" She sighed and pushed the bowl over to me. "Thanks Sis."

Zenobia shook her head at me, but she knew she loved me. "So how's life with Prince Charming? He break that back in yet?"

"Bitch," I groaned. "Remember how Jasmine was with Zahir when she was pregnant?"

"Mmhmm, put that nasty stain in Mama's couch," Zenobia said. That was a story for another time, but the gist of it was Jasmine stayed horny throughout her pregnancy. Almost all of us walked in on them on separate occasions.

"Same thing with me. I was already horny the first trimester, but it's like kicked up a notch now," I told her.

"So did Seungwoo help you or not?" she asked. I put a cake scrap dipped in buttercream into my mouth. _Oh, she made caramel cake. Praise._ The moist caramel goodness was like heaven in my mouth. This was the kind of cake I was gonna have at my wedding, it's so good. "Girl!"

Maybe it wasn't the best time to stuff my mouth. "Sorry. No he has not done anything yet. But let me tell you the shit that he did." I took a breath and ate another piece of cake before I started.

"Dude comes home drunk one night, like I need help to walk drunk. I'm taking him to his room so he can sleep and just talking, you know how drunk Seungwoo is. He starts going on about how beautiful and smart I am, the regular nonsense, and then he tells me he called his sister about me."

"Why?"

"In his words, I was being clingy," I told her and she gasped, stopping as she was about to place an edible pearl along the edge.

Yeah, I never forgot about that little tidbit he shared with me. I was clingy? Excuse a bitch if she just wants a little physical touch from time to time. I was gonna keep that in mind and wait for the day when that asshole came needing some love and physical affection. "That's not all. Guess what she told him to do to stop my clinginess." I put air quoted around "clinginess" because I am not clingy.

"What did she say?"

"He needs to have sex with me."

Zenobia just about shrieked and threw her hands up, stepping away from the cake she was working on. It was probably a good thing because she would have toppled that thing with just the force of the wind from her hands. "I can't. I can't. She said that?" I nodded. "That's basically a pity fuck."

"Right!?" I roared. She got it, she understood it just fine. It doesn't matter how much I like you or want to sleep with you. YOU DON'T THROW ME A PITY FUCK! "You call me clingy and then say I need a pity fuck? Oh, his ass is grass."

After about five minutes of us basically screaming, we calmed down and got back to the story at hand.

"So, what are you going to do?" Zenobia asked, beginning to clean up her station and putting things away.

"I got something for him. After he told me that, he started talking about how he doesn't want to go on these dates that his mother is sending him on, that he doesn't want any of those girls," I told her.

"He wants you," Zenobia said matter of factly. Obviously this was not the first time I had heard this or that she had said it. It was almost second nature at this point for people. But she was not ready for what I said next.

"Yeah, he wants me," I admitted.

I was not ready for the loud bang of Zenobia dropping the bowl she was holding. She looked at me, eyes wide and mouth open in shock. She looked how I felt when that moment happened. Then she started screaming again, but this time she was jumping up and down excitedly. "Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god! I'm calling Zabrina!"

"What?"

She wiped her hands on her apron before pulling out her phone and dialing. It didn't take long for Zabrina to pick up and Zenobia put her on speaker.

"Hello?"

"It happened!" Zenobia shouted. Zabrina immediately started screaming with Zenobia. I waited for the two crackheads I called sisters to stop screaming bloody murder. I didn't want anyone to even think of calling me shady anymore. Not when Zabrina and Zenobia Hughes are out here with their own personal palm trees.

"Details! I need details!" Zabrina demanded.

"Zafirah's here," Zenobia said putting the phone in the middle of us.

I quickly recanted what I had already told Zenobia to catch our oldest sibling up, allowing for her to yell about the clingy pity fuck part. "And that's when he said it," I finished.

"So Zahir was telling the truth about what Seungwoo told them in the den," Zabrina said.

I paused and looked at Zenobia who looked like she had swallowed a fish. Seungwoo said all they talked about in the den was work and sports. So what did Zahir say that had to do with this moment? "What did Zahir tell you?"

"Did Seungwoo tell you he loves you yet?" Zenobia asked, avoiding my question.

"I stopped him before he could say it because he was drunk," I said quickly. "What did Zahir tell you?" Her cheeks bubbled up and she started looking around the room. Classic Zenobia avoidance technique. If she didn't want to tell you something, she would do that until you leave her alone.

But I had a whole other sister who apparently is in on this secret conversation. And she was a whole lot messier and had a much bigger mouth.

"Zabrina, what did Zahir tell you?" I asked once more. Zenobia's eyes widened and she immediately dove for the phone. I always had quicker reflexes though so I snatched it away before she could even touch it. She ran around the side, but I held her away from me with one hand and had the phone as far away as possible with the other.

"Well um what um," Zabrina stuttered. I could tell she was having an internal battle right now whether to keep this secret about what was said in the den and ignore her messiness or embrace her trifling nature and spill the beans.

"No Zabrina!" Zenobia yelled. "Don't say anything!"

"I-I-I," she continued to stutter, and I knew she was wearing down. Just a few more seconds and she would tell me every dirty detail.

"Tell her and I'll tell Daddy that that weird stain on their mattress is Jacob's cum stain," Zenobia threatened and I felt my face twist up in horror.

"Gotta go, bye!" Zabrina said before hanging up the phone.

"What!?" I shrieked. "Mama and Daddy's mattress! They had sex in their bed?" The stain on the couch, the stain on my parents' mattress, what else have these people defiled? "Do you have a stain?"

Zenobia pressed her lips together and I almost threw up. "You know that weird stain on the carpet in the den?" Why were all of my siblings so damn nasty? They couldn't do it in the privacy of their own homes? They had to do it in Mama and Daddy's house? Was nothing sacred to these people? "Oh like that damn stain in the carpet in your room is so innocent!"

"That stain is from the banana pudding I snuck in my room in the middle of the night, you heathen!" I told her. I was a smart hoe, thank you very much. If I had a dick appointment, I went to that nigga's house. I didn't bring him into my parents' home unlike these disrespectful negroes. See, they're all trifling. "Now tell me what Zahir said or Mama and Daddy are gonna know the origin stories of all the stains inside their house."

"You tell them and I'll follow it up with how that buzzing noise in the middle of the night was your vibrator, not your phone," she threatened. I narrowed my eyes and we stood there, sizing each other and our threats up.

Finally I gave her the phone back. "Fine. If you won't tell me, I'm just gonna have to ask that fool myself."

I grabbed my stuff and walked out of the kitchen, snatching my phone out of my purse. I quickly dialed Zahir's number and called him, stepping outside. I put my hand up to hail a taxi and at the same time one pulled up, Zahir picked up.

"What's up sis?" he asked. "How's my future niece or nephew?"

"Cut the crap nigga," I told him before getting in and giving the driver my address. "What did Seungwoo say in that damn den? And don't try to lie because I just talked to your trifling sisters."

"Oh shit," he cursed.


	14. Five Months

I thought today was going pretty good until I got a random text from Zahir.

**Code RED! Hurricane Zafirah coming your way. She wants to know about the den...**

Oh shit.

And as if the text summoned her, she barged into my office and slammed her hands down on the table, looking absolutely furious. "Got something you want to tell me."

"Is Zenobia gonna do the cake?" I asked, deciding to play dumb.

She growled and I felt goosebumps start to form, my arms tingling. It was like death's cold gaze was staring me down. Furious Zafirah was one of the scariest things I had ever experienced in my life. You would think the effect wouldn't be as great while she was pregnant, but it was ten times worse.

"I already talked to the three stooges so would you rather you tell me or I say it?" she hissed at me, fingernails tapping incessantly at my desk.

Obviously playing dumb was not going to work here so I had to go for a different approach. "You say it." She stood up, her angry façade broken. _Ah ha._ "If you already know what I said, just say it yourself. Why should I repeat myself?"

"Because I want to hear it from your mouth," she said, crossing her arms and shifting her weight to one hip.

"You know, so you say it," I responded.

Her eye began to twitch and she gritted her teeth before turning around and stomping out of the room. A few seconds later I heard her bedroom door slam shut. I let out the breath I was holding and slid down in my seat. That was the most nerve-wracking thing I had ever done.

Thankfully, I knew Zafirah better than anyone. And I could tell when she was bluffing. Her nose wiggled and she would tap her fingernails against something. If her bluff was called, she would cross her arms and shift her weight to her right hip. Also if she actually had known what I said, I highly doubted that she would have come in here so mad.

_Note to self. Do not tell the Hughes siblings anything._

It was probably best that I let her cool off before talking to her. Death was not on my agenda. I continued working, looking over a contract from a deal that Naeun had sent me from legal. Her team had found a clause that basically had us working for free for some clothing brand that got started on Instagram. Good thing they caught it before the deal was completely finished or we would have been screwed out of a lot of money.

When I finished looking over the revisements and approved everything, I sent it back to her and closed my computer. My eyes were strained from looking at the bright screen and my neck ached. Hopefully we could come to some kind of agreement with the brand because I did not feel like spending my Saturday reading the fine print in contracts.

My stomach rumbled and I looked at the clock on my wall. I had been working on that for five hours.

I went downstairs where I could hear banging around in the kitchen. "Look who came out of her room," I said to myself before walking into the kitchen where Zafirah was chopping an onion like it had personally insulted her. She was obliterating that thing.

I was trying not to make any noise because she didn't seem like she was in a good mood, but my knee hit an open cabinet door. She swung around, knife in hand, and I put my hands up.

"It's just me," I said. She glared at me before turning around and continuing to demolish the onion. At that point, it didn't even look like an onion. "I'm guessing you're still not in a good mood." She hmphed but didn't say anything.

I carefully walked up to her and put my hands on her arms. She didn't fight me which was a good sign. I slowly reached for the knife and took it from her hand without any resistance from her. "Let me just grab that, so it doesn't accidentally slip. Like into my neck." She hmphed again and crossed her arms. I put the knife down far from her reaching distance and turned her around.

Her lips stuck out in a pout and she just looked straight at my chest. Furious Zafirah was terrifying, but pouting Zafirah was so cute. "What's wrong?" I asked her. She didn't say anything. "Are you upset because I didn't tell you what I said?"

"You told me that all you talked about was work and sports," she said before looking up at me. "So why are my siblings saying that there's something you said that I can't know about?"

"Because they're messy?" I tried.

"But they're not liars."

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. I really was not ready to have this conversation. _This conversation is thirteen years in the making and you're still not ready?_ No I was not, and the fact that it has been this long and I'm still too scared to say anything does not make me feel that great.

"So what did you say?"

"I can't tell you," I told her and I saw her jaw clench. "It's not bad, I'm just not ready. I promise I'll tell you one day."

"You promise?" she asked. I nodded. "And this isn't one of those situations like junior year when you went to that party without me and nobody would tell me what happened, and I found out they were trying to hide that you hooked up with Amy?"

I shuddered. College was not the best time for good decisions. It took me weeks to shake her crazy ass. "Definitely not that kind of situation." I leaned closer to her, resting my arms on the counter on either side of her, effectively trapping her. "You'll like it this time."

"Then why can't you tell me now?" she whined.

"Be patient," I told her. Her arms suddenly went around my neck and she pulled me down even closer, our faces only a breath apart.

"I don't want to be patient anymore," she said, voice barely above a whisper.

My eyes instinctively looked down to her lips, plump and basically begging me to kiss them. I looked back up at her and her eyes looked hungry as she watched me. Something told me she wasn't hungry for food. My body started to move forward, not listening to my brain.

A loud gasp and thud made us break apart quicker than lightning. My head shot to the source of the sound and I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole. Sunhwa stood there with her mouth wide open. I stepped a little further from Zafirah, which was not a good idea because her eyes went straight to Zafirah's enlarged stomach. They darted back and forth between the two of us rapidly.

"I can explain!" I said quickly.

"You got Zafirah pregnant!?"

_Why does everybody keep thinking that?_

"So the baby is not yours?" Sunhwa asked, sitting down in the living room. Zafirah came back with a glass of water and handed it to Sunhwa before sitting next to me.

"No," I answered. Before my sister fainted from shock, I explained the whole situation to her with a little help from Zafirah. I didn't think I would have to, but I could hear a voice in the back of my head telling me Zafirah was right about my family barging into my house without notice. She was gonna have a field day when Sunhwa left.

Sunhwa gestured to the two of us. "And you two aren't together? You're just roommates?" We both nodded. I really was starting to hate the term roommates though. "Then what I did I walk into in the kitchen?"

What did she walk into in the kitchen? I honestly didn't know how to respond to that. I knew what I wanted it to be, but I didn't know about Zafirah. I looked to the other person in question for help, but she was just looking at me, waiting for an answer. Something told me she was still upset about the thing I said in the den that I won't tell her. My hesitation was really coming back to bite me in the ass right now.

"We were having a conversation," I said weakly. Zafirah sighed and rolled her eyes. Something told me that was not the explanation she wanted to hear. I looked to Sunhwa and she looked like she did not believe me one bit. To be fair because I wouldn't believe me either. "Why are you even here?"

"Mom has noticed you dodging the dates she's setting you up on," Sunhwa told me. I closed my eyes and groaned. It was only a matter of time before she realized. Every time she called about it, I would come up with some excuse about how I couldn't make it. "She's gonna come over here to talk to you eventually, but I thought it would be best if I got to you before she did. A good idea on my part." She looked between me and Zafirah and I could feel the tips of my ears heat up.

"I'm not going to marry any of those girls Mom is setting me up with," I told her.

"I know that, Sunhee knows that, even Dad knows that. Mom does not know that because you won't outright tell her that," Sunhwa scolded me. I hated to admit it, but she was right. I never did tell Mom, but in my defense, she would just bulldoze over me. "You need to talk to her, Seungwoo. She won't stop until you tell her to."

"She won't listen to me. You know how Mom is," I said, but Sunhwa was not hearing it.

"So what are you gonna do? Just act like she's not there and do everything in secret? Because we saw how well that went when you went to Stanford instead of Columbia like she wanted, or when you got three tattoos when she told you she would not allow it."

Damn, she really just explained my entire behavior. As the youngest and the only son, my mother doted on me from birth. She controlled every aspect of my life. What I wore, what extracurriculars I did, who I was friends with, everything was orchestrated by her. And I followed what she said at first until I got older and I realized that I wanted to live my own life. It was just hard to tell her that I wanted to live my own life.

"I just can't," I told her.

"You did it once before," Sunhwa said, looking at Zafirah.

I looked at Zafirah who was watching the both of us go back and forth, not saying anything. She was relaxed into the couch with the blanket on her lap and a pillow behind her back, both hands resting on her stomach. She looked up at me, waiting for my response. A small smile pulled at the corners of my mouth.

"Talk to her," Sunhwa said getting up.

"Are you leaving?" Zafirah asked, starting to get up.

Sunhwa stopped her. "You don't have to get up for me. I remember how hard it was to always get up when I was pregnant." She reached down to hug Zafirah. "Congratulations."

"Thank you," Zafirah said. "Don't be afraid to stop by."

"I won't," Sunhwa told her softly. "Make sure you watch out for my idiot little brother. I know he's annoying."

"Hey!" I protested. I was not that annoying.

"Walk me out dumbass," Sunhwa said. I sighed and got up, following her to the door. She paused before she was fully out the door and turned to me. "So, have you slept with her yet?"

"What? No!"

She shook her head at me. "Even though I told you to. Is it because she's pregnant?"

"No."

"Is it because she's pregnant with another man's child?"

"No!"

"Then why not?"

"Because I'm waiting for the right time!" I finally said.

"You're always waiting for the right time, Seungwoo. You waited for the right time to ask her to wear your jersey, and someone had already asked her. You waited for the right time to ask her to prom, and she already had a date. You waited for the right time for her to be your first time, and you did it with someone else because she had a boyfriend. The perfect time you are thinking of does not exist! You just keep telling yourself it does because you're scared. You need to suck it up and just go for it or the next time you miss her is because she's getting married to some guy who's not afraid to go after what he wants," she told me. "Now I have a five year old who needs to get fed. See you later, Baby Bro."

And with that, she was gone and I felt like I had just been punched in the gut. She was absolutely right. It was just like Chan said. The timing was never right. I closed the door and went back to the living room where Zafirah had not moved an inch.

I sat down next to her and she leaned over to lay her head in my lap. "I don't feel like cooking and it's kinda late anyway."

"Should we order pizza?" I suggested.

"Ooh, the ever healthy Seungwoo who has been on my ass about not feeding the baby junk is suggesting pizza? Who are you and can I replace my best friend with you?" she teased.

I lightly pinched her side and she yelped, giggling like a madwoman. We sat like that for a moment as her giggling subsided

Zafirah was the first to break the silence. "What was Sunhwa talking about when she said you stood up to your mom once?"

I blinked and looked out the window, the night view of the city staring back at me. "I did, it was the first and only time I ever stood up to her. It was when we became friends. Mom hated the idea of us being friends so much that she was gonna transfer me to another school. I told her that if even if she shipped my ass to Korea, it still wouldn't keep me away from you. I said that no matter what she did, I would always stay with you and if she didn't like that then she might as well just disown me. Because a world that we're not together in does not exist."

I looked down at her and saw unshed tears glistening in her eyes. "You really told her all that?"

"Yes because it's true," I told her. I think that was the day that my mother really grew to not like Zafirah. "It's always gonna be me and you." She smiled and brought her hands up to hide her face. I brushed her hair with my hand. "Five months."

She moved her hands away and looked up at me in confusion. "What?"

"I'll tell you everything in five months," I told her. "Can you wait for me until then?" She nodded slowly.

I was going to tell Zafirah how I felt within five months. And if I didn't, I would have to let her go.


	15. Cake Cutting Nerves

The gender reveal party was in full swing. The apartment had been decked out in blue and pink decorations. Quanetta had set up a table for the guests. Before people came in, they would predict what gender the baby would be by picking from a variety of blue and pink flowers and putting them in a vase that Quanetta would later have professionally arranged. Then they would put on a sticker for the gender they were guessing.

Judging by how the amount of blue flowers outnumbered the pink flowers, everyone was really expecting me to have a boy. I put a pink peony in the vase next to the pink rose that Seungwoo had placed earlier. I still wanted a mini Zafirah honestly, but whatever happens, happens. My baby is gonna be cute regardless and I'll love them until the end.

"I'm telling you, you're having a boy," Jasmine said from behind me. I turned around and was handed a blue cup of blue punch. My sister-in-law had on a completely blue fit complete with a sky blue scrunchie and baby blue sneakers. "You were craving Shake Shack and Hot Cheetos during your first trimester. Boys make their mommas crave salty foods."

"And my right boob is bigger than my left and I always have cold feet," I finished. I knew the old wives tales about the signs of your baby's gender. That and my family could not shut up about telling me what gender the baby would be because of how I sneezed or the way I walked.

Monique swooped in with a pink plate of pink chocolate covered strawberries that she gave to me. She had swapped out her normal glasses for bright pink horn-rimmed specs and had a rose pink headwrap tied over her hair. "She also had really bad morning sickness and crazy mood swings. Signs that point to a girl." The two of them started to go back and forth about my symptoms and I started to check out of the entire conversation.

My oldest sibling decided to swoop in and save me from the nonsense. "Either would be beautiful and a great addition to this family," Zabrina told them with a sickly sweet smile. The two quickly agreed and Zabrina's face turned back to normal.

She was messy, but she sure knew how to look out for her little siblings. There was also something about being the oldest that made the rest of us automatically listen to her.

"Where's Jabari?" I asked.

"Where do you think? With his favorite Uncle Seungwoo." She pointed over her shoulder where my nephew was hanging off Seungwoo's arm like my best friend was his own personal jungle gym. "All he could talk about in the car was that he was going to his Uncle Seungwoo's house."

"Same with Gia. She was bouncing off the walls about seeing Uncle Seungwoo," Jasmine told us. I could see my niece's small body stuck to Seungwoo's back like a little koala. "He is so great with kids."

I nodded, smiling as I watched him play with the kids. He really was amazing with kids. My hand started to rub at my stomach unconsciously. _Baby Z, we've got a good man looking out for us, don't we?_

"He's good looking, smart, sweet, good with kids, rich," Jasmine listed off. "Is there anything wrong with him?"

"He's got horrible timing," Zabrina said with her arms crossed, looking straight at me. "What did he say about the den?"

"Give him five months and he'll tell me everything," I told them and all of their eyes widened. I wasn't even surprised at this point with their reactions. They've all been witnesses to the damn saga of Zafirah and Seungwoo. And as I'm starting to realize, they have been privy to knowledge from both sides of our little story.

"Can you wait five months?" Zabrina asked.

"I've waited thirteen years. I can wait five more months," I told them.

And I meant it. Waiting for a guy was never my style. I told myself that I would never wait for some guy when there were plenty of others out there, ready and willing. But Seungwoo wasn't just some guy. He was the only guy for me. And in some way, I had been waiting for him this whole time.

Nate came over with a fake smile. "Monique, you might want to get Mom." He pointed behind him and we followed his finger to where Auntie Estelle was keeping Seungsik and Chan captive with her talking.

"Oh shit, not again," Monique said. Her and Nate quickly walked over and she said something before pulling her mother away. Seungsik and Chan visibly relaxed after that. Auntie Estelle had a really bad habit of trying to hook any and every person she saw up with her kids. She even tried it with Seungwoo, but I made it very clear that he was not up for grabs.

Speaking of Seungwoo, he walked over to us with two kids still attached to him. "Having fun?" I asked him.

"Alright, get off him you little animals," Zabrina told the kids. "He's not a playground." The two dismounted and ran to their respective moms.

"I see you're Team Girl like the baby mama," Jasmine said. She gestured to Seungwoo's pink sweater. It was actually his idea for the two of us to wear pink instead of just normal clothes. So he had a baby pink sweater to match with my baby pink bomber jacket. I didn't want to add to his ego, but we did look pretty cute with the outfits.

"I want a mini Zafirah running around," he said, putting his arm around me. "She'd be cute just like her mom."

"Damn right," I said.

"Are there gonna be any mini Seungwoos to run around with her?" Zabrina asked. _And she goes straight back to being messy_. This woman could not go ten minutes without being messy. We honestly needed to put her in counseling or something to control that because damn.

"Not right now," he said, him slightly squeezing my shoulder. _Does that mean what I think it means? Damn, can I pop out this baby first? And maybe get married before then?_ Zabrina and Jasmine gave me knowing looks which I pointedly ignored.

Before either of them could be outright trifling, Quanetta clapped her hands loudly. "Can I get everyone's attention?" She honestly didn't need to be that loud seeing as there was only a handful of people here. "It's time to cut the cake. Zenobia, if you please!"

My baby sister wheeled out a cake with white frosting and covered in blue and pink question marks with a blue sneak and a pink sneaker on top of it. **Girl or Boy?** was spelled out under the sneakers. The cake was actually adorable. She brought it to the center of the room and handed me the knife.

I took a deep breath as I looked at the cake. My heart started beating too quick to be safe and I felt my stomach turn. "I'm suddenly very nervous," I told everybody. "Why am I nervous? Seungwoo, why am I nervous?"

Seungwoo quickly came over and put his hand on my back. "Calm down and breathe. All you have to do is cut a cake." I held up the knife and it was shaking horribly. "Okay, we'll cut a cake." He put his hand on top of mine and guided it to the pretty cake. "You ready?"

I nodded and with his help, we cut a slice out of the cake. Moving the slice was like slow motion, every second creeping, inching by for us to get past the frosting to reveal...PINK!

"It's a girl!" Everyone started clapping and cheering as Seungwoo and I hugged. Not that I wouldn't have been just as excited about a boy, but I really wanted a mini Zafirah. I pulled away and picked up the cake. No I wasn't seeing things, the layers were an ombre of pink.

I started feeling the little spark of mischief and before I could stop myself, I stuck my finger in the icing and painted it on Seungwoo's nose. He froze for a moment in shock before he got a mischievous glint in his eyes. He took a fingerful of frosting and dragged it across my cheek, making me squeal at the feeling. And because we are children, I took a piece of cake and smashed it onto his face, and he did the same to me in retaliation. It left the both of us laughing hysterically and holding onto each other as our family and friends laughed at our nonsense.

Later that night, after the party was done and the apartment was cleaned up, we laid out on the balcony. I rested my head on Seungwoo's chest, the steady thrum of his heartbeat as relaxing as a lullaby. Seungwoo's fingers tapped a silent beat on my waist.

"We're having a baby girl," Seungwoo said into my hair. I always got butterflies every time he would we when he was talking about the baby. We really were in this together.

"Happy to have another honorary niece?" I asked sleepily. He hummed and I yawned, eyes getting heavy. I guess I didn't realize how tiring parties could be when you were pregnant. I closed my eyes and sighed.

Just as I was about to drift off, I felt Seungwoo's hand rest on my stomach. "Did you tire Mommy out again?" I realized he was talking to the baby. I didn't move, deciding to listen to what he was saying. "So you're a girl. If you're gonna be anything like your mother, you're gonna be a troublemaker." _Rude ass_. "Don't worry though because when you get in trouble, you'll have me there. Appa will protect you no matter what."

I swear my heart stopped for a bit when I heard him say that. I may not have been fluent in Korean, but I did grow up with the man. I heard him talk it at home with his family all the time. So I knew the Korean word for Dad.

And I really liked the idea of Baby Z growing up with her Daddy Seungwoo instead of Uncle Seungwoo.

Suddenly my phone started to ring. Who the fuck would be calling at this time of night? And right as things were getting really good. If it was Quanetta or my sisters, I swore I was going to curse them out. I didn't call them late at night and bother them with nonsense.

I could feel Seungwoo reach over and pick it up. "Oh shit," he muttered under his breath before lightly shaking me. "Zafirah wake up."

I pretended to wake up and even threw in a yawn for good measure. "What is it?" I asked, propping my head up on his chest. He looked down at me and I fully sat up. Seungwoo looked like someone had just cursed him and his family out. He looked pissed. "What's wrong?"

He silently handed me my phone and I looked down at it in confusion. But the name on the lock screen had me clenching my jaw and a million thoughts running through my head, none of which were pleasant.

It was that dumb nigga, Devante!

He had the audacity to be texting me. A fucking novel apparently by how my phone kept going off. I knew I should have blocked his ass when he put me on the street in the middle of the night.

I read through the 12 fucking text messages he sent me before growling and throwing my phone across the couch.

"What did he want?" Seungwoo asked.

"I think Lorikeet dumped his ass. He just apologized and gave me some lame excuse about how the thought of being a father freaked him out. He's begging me to take him back and we can try again."


	16. I Only Want Zafirah's Pajama Cuddles

"He's begging me to take him back."

All I could think when she told me that was I missed my chance again. I fucked up the timing because I was too scared. Any thoughts of us being more than friends went down the drain. The cycle had started all over again.

"What are you gonna do?" I asked as calmly as I could.

"Is it too late to drive down there and fuck up his house? He got me all the way fucked up! You got the nerve to dump all this deliciousness for a damn chicken-headed bitch and try to crawl back? AND DO IT THROUGH TEXT? I'm gonna go full Before He Cheats Carrie Underwood on his ass and fuck up his car!" She started to get up, but I pulled her back down and kept her locked in my arms.

This was how I expected her to act when all this shit first happened, but the fact that she was like this now did make me a little happy. Still I had to ask just to fully ease my worries.

"So you're not gonna take him back?"

"Fuck no!" she yelled. "Nigga got me fucked up! I might take my bat to his head instead of his headlights!" She continued ranting and it was like music to my ears. My insecurities were getting the best of me and lately all I could think about was what Sunhwa told me. Some man was going to come along and swoop in before I could even take the leap. At least it wasn't that bitch ass Devante.

"Besides I told you I would wait five months for you," she said, catching my attention. I looked down at her to meet her brown eyes. "You still got 18 more weeks." She pulled away from me and stood up. "I'm still going to give the dumb hoe a call. If he wants to be in his daughter's life, I won't stop him. She deserves to grow up with her father present." With that, she went back inside.

I leaned back against the couch and sighed. I couldn't argue with Zafirah about that even if I wanted to. That was the baby's biological father, and if he wanted to actually be a father, who was I to say different? But it didn't mean that I was going anywhere. And I was going to stay true to my promise. I would protect her no matter what.

_You can't hit people at work. You can't hit people at work. You can't hit people at work._

That was the mantra I had to keep repeating to myself when an idiot showed up in my place of business with a giant bouquet of flowers and caused a scene. And Seungsik's hand on my shoulder also kept me from doing anything overtly stupid. Like punching someone dead in the throat.

"I'm sorry Baby! I'll do anything!" Devante shouted to a clearly irritated Zafirah. She stood just outside her office with Subin slightly in front of her. _I raised that kid well_.

"I told you no, now leave," she said calmly, her arms crossed over her chest.

"What about our baby? Let's stay together for her!" he suggested.

Luckily security had decided to arrive at that moment to drag Devante out because I really was about to beat his face in. He was dumb enough to interrupt someone in their place of work when he had clearly been rejected, but to bring his child into this to try and guilt Zafirah into getting back with him. That shit was the lowest shit he had ever done after kicking his pregnant girlfriend out on the street to be with a bird.

"Everybody go about your business!" Seungsik called out. "Show's over!"

He let go of my shoulder and I immediately went to Zafirah's office. She was leaned back in her chair, looking through a folder and talking to Subin. "Could you get me some tea please and none of that nettle nonsense?"

Subin nodded before leaving and I closed the door behind him. Zafirah looked up at me, an exasperated look on her face. She clearly was not impressed with what had just happened. I don't think anyone was to be honest. "How are you feeling?" I asked her.

She sighed and threw the folder on the desk. "If whatever it is you have to say in five months looks like what that dumb nigga just did, I'm gonna just tell you now that it won't work out."

I started shaking my head. "It won't be anything like that, I promise. That was just stupid."

"And has made our little meeting this evening very fucking awkward."

"Meeting?" I was not aware of any meetings that were going to happen between Zafirah and Devante. Why was I just hearing about this now?

"Relax Han, I'm going so we can talk about his role in our daughter's life, nothing else. And I'm taking Daddy with me so don't worry. I can see that vein in your forehead starting to pop out," she told me. Her taking her father did ease my worries a little bit. I've experienced first hand how protective he is of his kids, and if there was anyone who would look out for Zafirah better than me and scare the shit out of Devante at the same time, it was Mr. Hughes.

Not that Zafirah couldn't look out for herself. But she was pregnant and I didn't want her to get into any unsavory situations. "I really need to get you a taser for things like this."

She snorted and gave me a look. "And you better take responsibility when I tase a bitch because she kept trying me. Let me Mockingbird in these streets with a taser and Imma get her right in her implants."

It wasn't like I would stop her if that happened because that woman needed to get her well-deserved comeuppance. Though from what I was hearing, she was starting to get it at that bullshit company Zafirah used to work at. And judging by the influx of new clients who all seemed to have ties to my newest manager, karma was slapping her dead in the face.

"Don't you have that date tonight?" Zafirah asked, pulling out a candy bar from her desk. I narrowed my eyes at her and she gave me a look that said I dare you to take this from my hand. I decided the best course of action was to just let her eat it.

I sighed and leaned back in the chair. "Why do I have to go?"

"Because it deters your momma from pulling up to your apartment that you are sharing with the pregnant girl she hates and does not know is living with you," she told me and I groaned. Mom had set me up on another blind date and I was going to come up with some lie, but Zafirah made me agree to it. I was working up the nerve to confess my love for her and she was making me date other women. What was this relationship? "Just go on the damn date. I even put out a nice outfit for you."

"Are you my mom?" I asked. She glared at me and mumbled something under her breath. "What was that?"

"If I wanted you to hear it, I would have said it louder," she responded and I rolled my eyes. I don't know why my mom didn't like Zafirah, her attitude alone was respectable in how quick she shut people down. She always had some slick comment she had to say. "And text me if you plan on bringing the girl back to the apartment. I don't want to hear none of your moaning and groaning."

It was my turn to mumble under my breath. "You could be the one moaning and groaning if you weren't making me go on this date."

"What'd you say?" she hissed.

"If I wanted you to hear it, I would have said it louder," I repeated.

"Oh you're lucky I'm pregnant or I would have jumped across this desk at you," she growled. She was also half a foot shorter than me. I could hold her back by pushing her head away. This was one of those times I was not scared of small Zafirah.

I walked into the restaurant where my date already was. Based on the picture my mom had sent, that was her sitting by the window. She had bright, round eyes, a small nose, and heart shaped lips. The girl was pretty and it was lost on me how she was single. If this were a different time and I wasn't crazy in love with my best friend, I would have pounced on the chance to date her.

"Jisoo?" I guessed.

"Seungwoo?" she said standing up. _Wow her dress was short_. "Hi, it's nice to meet you." She moved to hug me and I reciprocated. _She smells amazing._

"Sorry for being late," I apologized when she pulled away. We both sat down and she waved me off.

"It's okay. I was so nervous to meet you. My mom told me you were the CEO of a marketing company," she told me. I nodded. "Wow, you're so young. You must be very smart and good at your job."

It was my turn to wave her off. "No, no it's just that good old Korean nepotism. It's my father's company and he's been grooming me to take over since I was born."

She giggled softly. "I understand that. My parents have planned for me to take over their PR firm since I could talk. I was learning to spin a story before I even knew my ABCs." I laughed. _She's pretty funny._ "So Seungwoo, how does a young handsome CEO not already have a girlfriend on his arm?"

 _I'm too scared to tell the girl I want how I actually feel._ "Don't really have the time for dating. The company kind of takes up all of my attention. What about you?" I asked.

"Same as you mostly. Working in public relations is kind of an around the clock job, scandals can happen at any time. And for some reason, people really love to get into a scandal in the middle of the nights. It's kind of hard to find someone who understands that," she said, bringing her hand up to stroke mine. I looked down at it with wide eyes and gulped. _What did I just get myself into?_

I cleared my throat and gently pulled my hand away, settling it on my lap. She looked a little confused but didn't say anything about it. "The life of a workaholic is hard. I tend to spend most of my time at the office or doing work in my home office. I'm kind of a homebody too," I said.

"So am I!" she said excitedly. "I barely leave my house when I'm not at work. I watch Netflix more than what's probably healthy. Nothing like lounging around, no bra on." _What?_ "You should join me sometime." _Oh god._

I awkwardly laughed and the waiter came like an angel. The little respite was short lived though after we gave our orders. When he left, Jisoo leaned against the table and dragged her finger around the rim of her water glass. That was when I noticed how low cut her dress actually was.

"The weather has been pretty great," I said quickly before anything else could come out of her mouth. She looked confused but nodded. I kept the conversation focused on small talk to steer away the not so innocent things she was trying to suggest until dinner came.

We ate in relative silence until we were done. "That was pretty good," she said and I agreed. _I need to bring Zafirah here one day_. A chill went up my spine when I suddenly felt something brush against my leg. I realized it was Jisoo's foot when it kept rubbing up my leg. "I think I have room for dessert though." It crept higher and higher until it got to my thigh and I jumped out of my seat, startling her.

"I need to use the restroom, be right back," I said before all but running to the restroom.

I splashed some water on my hot face, but it didn't do much to cool me down. "Where did Mom find this girl?" I asked myself. My phone vibrated and I pulled it out. Zafirah had amazing timing because I really needed her right now.

**How is it going? Should I stay at my parents' tonight?**

Again, if this was a different time and I was not in love with my best friend, we wouldn't have even made it to dinner. I would have had Jisoo in my bed, calling out my name. But I didn't want that and all of her passes at me just made me uncomfortable. I wanted to go home, put on Netflix, and cuddle with Zafirah in our pajamas. And yes, she would be braless.

**Your pregnant behind better be home when I get there.**

She didn't even take a minute to respond back to me.

**Or what, you'll spank me?**

I bit my lip and texted her back.

**I might.**

Again she texted me back immediately.

**Oh you dirty. Stop flirting with me on your date!**

Yeah, I had to get back home now. I pulled myself together before going back out there.

"Everything okay?" Jisoo asked me.

"Some work stuff just came up. I hate to cut the date short, but you know how that goes. Thanks!" I told her quickly, paying for everything and then rushing out of the restaurant.

When I got home I was pretty sure I had been caught by at least three traffic light cameras, but no police so it was all good. I could not get away from that date quick enough.

"I'm home!" I called when I opened the door.

Zafirah came out of the kitchen with a bowl of ice cream and in her pajamas. And she was braless. "That was quick. How did the date go?"

"Don't want to talk about it," I sighed. "I'm gonna take a shower and then maybe Stranger Things?" She nodded, confused. I smiled and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before running up the stairs. After washing off the grubby feeling of Jisoo hitting on me, I went back downstairs where Zafirah was lounging on the couch.

I sat next to her and brought her legs into my lap, rubbing my hands up and down her smooth skin. She brought her spoon up to my mouth and I took in the chocolate ice cream, licking my lips and winking at her. Zafirah snorted and rolled her eyes before eating a spoonful herself.

Yeah, this was where I was supposed to be.


	17. I would Hate to Be Clingy

I thought the little meeting I had with Devante was fairly positive. It was a good thing I brought Daddy with me because after that stunt Devante pulled at the office, I wasn't too sure that he wouldn't also act up at this meet up. But just the presence of my father was enough to keep his ass in check.

We had come to the agreement that Devante was welcome to be a part of Baby Z's life, including my pregnancy. I had also made it very clear that any relationship beyond co-parenting did not exist and would never exist. At least I thought I made it very clear. Until I kept receiving bouquets and vases of flowers at the office every damn day.

Like today. I walked into my office where a damn vase full of red roses was sitting on my desk. I heard someone come in and automatically assumed that it was Subin about to remind me of my schedule for the day so I started ranting.

"Who keeps letting these damn flowers be delivered? I said I didn't want to see these things anymore. I see them tomorrow and I'm fighting somebody," I said before turning around and promptly shutting my mouth. That was definitely not Subin in my office.

For starters, he was a lot taller. Like unnecessarily tall, taller than Seungwoo even and he was handsome like a model. He seemed amused based on his smile. _Oh my god he has dimples._ He had a dimple on each cheek deeper than the ocean.

"Well I hope it's not me you're gonna fight," he joked, and I let out an embarrassed laugh.

"Sorry about that," I told him. "How can I help you?"

He came a little further into my office. "I guess I never introduced myself. I'm Choi Byungchan, I work in legal."

"I'm-"

"Zafirah Hughes, I know," he cut me off. "Everyone knows of the new manager who can close a deal in an hour."

"I wouldn't say an hour, maybe like two," I said, dusting off my shoulders in my head. Not to toot my own horn, but toot toot bitch. I was good at what I did and the fact that people knew it sure did make me feel pretty awesome. "So what do I owe for the pleasure of this meeting? Please don't tell me I'm getting sued."

He laughed, and I couldn't help but let out a little giggle myself. Byungchan had an infectious laugh. "Luckily not this time. I actually wanted to talk to you about the makeup upstart you've been working with and the contract terms if you have time."

I looked at my agenda. _No meetings today._ "You are in luck Mr. Choi. I have a clear day."

"Great!" he said. "You can call me Byungchan."

I learned while we were talking that Byungchan was a very charming man. I guess that helps when you're a lawyer and your job consisted mainly of negotiating contract terms and conditions. Just talking to him had me leaning over my desk and laughing at everything he said. How I hadn't met this man until now was beyond me.

"I thought I made it pretty clear that I was not interested in taking him back in the slightest," I told Byungchan. Apparently, he had witnessed the nonsense that was Devante storming in the building like a madman. Though to be fair, how could anyone have missed an idiot making a fool out of himself?

Byungchan nodded in agreement. "I thought so, but some people are just dense. It seems like he's just running back to you because the thing with the girl he cheated on you with didn't work out."

"Right? I would bet my entire snack stash that she dumped his sorry behind once she realized how much of a deadbeat he was," I said, pulling a chocolate bar out of said snack stash. I offered one to Byungchan but he shook his head. _Oh well more for me._

"I wouldn't be surprised if she dumped him once you found out. From what you've told me about her, I wouldn't put it past her to date your boyfriend just to get at you," he said. Look at that, only an hour and a half of talking and he could tell just how obsessed with me that bitch was. And he could tell that Devante was just a thirsty, skirt-chasing, sorry excuse for a man. I was definitely starting to like Choi Byungchan.

Sadly, I couldn't talk to the handsome man all day. We still had work to do, but I made him promise that he would continue to come by, or we could get lunch sometimes. There was no way I was going to just let that fine man disappear into the ether.

Later that day, after work was over, Seungwoo came into my office. "Ready to go?" he asked me.

I slung my purse over my shoulder and nodded. As much as I would have liked to stay and look over a few more of the documents that Seungyoun had sent me about his label, Baby Z was about to make me lose my mind if I didn't go home, change into some comfortable clothes, and eat something that was not junk food. My black leggings and the kimchi fried rice in the fridge were calling me.

"Need to pick up anything on the way home?" he asked as we walked out of the office. We were almost always the last ones to leave. Perks of being the CEO and the CEO being your ride.

"Nope," I told him. "I want to go home, eat, and relax."

"Want anything in particular for dinner?"

I looped my arm through his and leaned my head against his shoulder. "Whatever you want to make is good with me. You know I'll eat anything you cook."

"You're just saying that so I'll keep cooking," he said. Was he wrong on that assumption? Mostly not, I liked having a man at home who took part in the household stuff too. _Unlike Devante's bitch ass._ But Seungwoo was also a really good cook and I really did love his food.

"Maybe," I teased and he tried to shrug me off his shoulder, but I held tight and giggled. "I'll help you if it makes you feel better."

I poured the sliced mushrooms and kimchi into the pot and backed up for Seungwoo to stir it. "Why aren't we using meat?" I asked.

"Because meat has been giving you heartburn," he pointed out. I was surprised that he caught on to that. I hadn't really said anything about it because then he would start worrying about my health and overhaul my entire diet. He already cut out coffee, I didn't know how much more I could take. Before I could ask my next question, he beat me to the punch. "And no I will not be putting an egg in. You know you can only have fully cooked eggs."

I pouted and crossed my arms. This really was not fair. He chuckled when he saw my face. "I'll buy you all the meat you want once you have Baby Z. But for right now, we're cutting down."

"Fine," I sighed, leaning my back against the counter and watching Seungwoo go to work. He moved between the kimchi/mushroom mixture and the boiling seafood broth. I have to say seeing a man work in the kitchen was starting to make my hormones act up, especially since it was this man.

 _Should I keep waiting for him, or should I just make a move myself? Because the way you are looking right now, I might just have to take that risk._ I bit my lip as I watched him, a few thoughts involving him in an apron and nothing else crossing my mind.

My thoughts were broken when I heard the front door open. I looked up at Seungwoo who looked just as confused as me. So neither of us were expecting anybody.

"Seungwoo!" The confusion on our faces was replaced with horror as I felt my blood run cold. I really hoped that I was hearing things and that wasn't who I thought it was. "Seungwoo!" Nope, that was definitely his mom's voice.

"What do we do?" I whispered.

"I'm gonna distract her and you run upstairs while her back is turned," he told me. I nodded and he rushed out of the kitchen. "Mom! What are you doing here?"

I crept towards the hall and peeked out as carefully as I could without her seeing me. His mom stood in the living room, pointed right in the direction of my path to the stairs. She looked exasperated as Seungwoo kissed her on the cheek in greeting.

"Did you think I wouldn't find out about you ditching your date again?" she asked. She must have been referring to the last date he went on where he was texting me. Did he ditch her? He sure didn't tell me anything about it.

"I wouldn't say I ditched her. I stayed for the entire dinner," he said.

Mama Han was not impressed with that response. She crossed her arms and gave him her stern look that meant you had better think about a better answer and try again. I had been on the receiving end of that look almost every time I saw that woman. Crazy thing was no answer was ever a better answer.

"You threw money on the table and ran out," she said.

I silently gasped. No, he did not. Now I really needed to know what exactly happened on that date.

"Mom, why don't you sit down?" he suggested, turning her around. With his hand, he signaled to me to make a break for it. That was all I needed to see before I rushed for the stairs.

I was starting to hate this damn spiral staircase though because this shit was fucking impractical when you were trying to haul ass. I was just about to home free when my foot caught a step and I fell with a loud thud. _Oh shit._

"What was that?" I heard Mrs. Han ask.

"Did I not tell you that I got a cat?" Seungwoo said hurriedly.

 _Are you fucking kidding me?_ I meowed pathetically in a sad attempt at a cat impression.

"Why would you get one of those flea-infested animals?" Mrs. Han asked. Well I guess my cat impression wasn't that horrible if this lady believed it. I quickly got up and rushed into my bedroom, closing the door as quietly as possible.

After what felt like forever, there was a knock on my door before it opened and Seungwoo peeked his head in. "She's gone."

I sighed before sitting up. "That was not a fun experience," I said. Seungwoo came in and sat next to me on the bed. "So what happened? How mad was she about you ditching your date?"

"I didn't ditch my date," he said, but I just raised my eyebrow at him. Even I didn't believe him when he said that plus I already heard the part about him throwing money on the table and running out. "Maybe I left her at the restaurant. Mom was pissed and insisted that I continue to meet this girl."

"And what did you say?" I asked him.

"I told her I would think about it," he told me, and I rolled my eyes. Of course that was what he told her. This boy really could not stand up to his mom about his own life.

"So why did you leave the girl high and dry?" I asked.

"She wasn't my type."

"How so?"

"She said she was a homebody, and she was also a workaholic," he said.

Was this boy serious? "Bitch, you're a homebody and you're a workaholic. So far she sounds perfect for you."

"She said a lot of sexual things," he tried again. Wasn't this the same man who told me to put one some lace panties and give him a show? The same man who suggested giving me a demonstration of what goes on in his bed? The same man who said he would spank me the very night of his date?

"I have a list of the shit you've said to me through text alone," I told him. "Want to try again?"

"She was too touchy. She put her foot on my dick," he said.

I was gonna pretend that what he just said did not spark a little jealousy in me. I moved behind him and put my hands on his shoulders, slowly moving them down his chest. I felt him tense up a bit but didn't stop. I nosed along his neck, my lips ever so slightly brushing against the spot behind his ear. "Since when don't you like when a girl is touchy?" I whispered into his ear as my hands dipped lower but stopping just shy of his crotch. I heard his sharp intake of breath.

"I didn't like that girl being touchy," he breathed out.

"Do you like it when I'm touchy?" I asked, fingernail tracing a circle in his skin. He nodded and I smirked before I moved from behind him and stood up. His eyes shot open and he looked at me like I had just stolen his candy.

"I think I'm ready for dinner," I said as I walked out of the room. I heard Seungwoo's loud groan and the whine of my bed as he flopped back on it before giggling. I decided to back off, I mean I would hate for him to feel like I was being clingy.


	18. I'm Korean, You Idiot

Did she really just do that? She just gave me a boner on purpose and then left me high and dry. For dinner! What kind of bullshit was that?

I flopped back onto her bed and groaned. I was 99% positive now that that girl knew what she did to me. Maybe I should amend that five months because what I really wanted to do right now was go downstairs and bring her ass up to one of these bedrooms to finish what she started.

The main reason was for me to get my confidence up and I was feeling pretty confident right now. Though that might have been my dick talking because it was also not happy to have been abandoned. _Fuck it._

I got up and went downstairs, fully ready to catch what I had been chasing after for thirteen years. The temperature had gone up a few degrees, my body starting to get warmer from the desire building up. My fingers ached to grasp at Zafirah's soft skin, to pull her close to me and never let go. The want that had been building for the past decade was almost to the point of explosion. It was begging to be let out.

"The appointment is at 9 AM," I could hear Zafirah say. _Who was she talking to?_ "Seungwoo will be there if he wants to be there, he's been the one by my side this entire time! You ain't gone do shit now get off my phone before I block you!"

I walked up behind Zafirah and put my hands on her hips, my head dipping to the spot between her neck and her shoulder. "Who was that?" I asked.

"Devante's bitch ass," she growled. "He's coming to my next appointment." She might as well have just poked me with a pin because I deflated as quick as a balloon. Of course, the moment I decide to finally act on my feelings, that nuisance ruins it.

I pulled away and moved to stand next to her. "Do you want me to not come?"

She looked like she couldn't believe I just said that. "When have I ever not want you to come?" _Just then up in your bedroom._ "But it's up to you whether you want to be there or not. I know you probably dislike that fool even less than I do." She was definitely not wrong there, and I didn't trust him farther than I could throw him. But this wasn't about me or him, it was about Zafirah and the baby.

"I think I should miss this one. He should be able to experience it too, and me being there might make stuff awkward," I told her. I.E. I might punch him again if he so much as looked at Zafirah. She nodded reluctantly and I put my hands on her shoulders, turning her to face me. Her eyes were looking down and her lips were pushed out in a pout. "I'll be a phone call away if you need me. And you'll have Sejun there too."

Speaking of Sejun, I was going to have to talk to him and ask him to watch out for Zafirah. Don't be fooled by the dimples, Sejun could be pretty scary if he wanted to be. He got into his fair share of bar fights when we were in college. So if Devante wanted to try something, Sejun could easily put him in his place.

It didn't make me feel any easier when I dropped Zafirah off though. And it kept nagging in the back of my mind while I drove to work, when I got into the elevator, and when I sat down on my desk. I couldn't even focus on what I was supposed to be doing because all I could think about was Zafirah at her appointment with her slimy baby daddy.

"Okay, I have had it!" Seungsik growled when he burst into my office. "If you send me the same damn email one more time, I will quit!"

"What?" I asked, looking at my computer. My eyes widened as I saw I had sent Seungsik one email 23 times in two minutes. I looked up at my friend sheepishly. "Sorry about that."

"Do I need to call Hanse to look at your computer or are you trying to annoy me?" Seungsik asked.

I sighed and leaned back in my chair. "Zafirah's at her doctor's appointment with Devante, and I can't really focus. All I can think about is that sleaze saying something or doing something."

"And why aren't you there?" he asked me, confused.

"Because I didn't want to make things awkward."

Seungsik did not look impressed with my answer. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed before looking right at me. "If he's going to be in the kid's life, he has to get over the fact that you're going to be there. Didn't you promise to be by Zafirah's side and help her through this whole thing?" I nodded slowly. I was serious when I said we were in this together. "Then get off your ass and go to the hospital."

That was all I needed to hear before I was racing back to the hospital. I broke several traffic laws, but that was normal for me and this was an urgent matter. So maybe I parked horribly in my haste and maybe I looked like a madman running through the halls of the hospital. Those were small issues compared to what I had left my best friend to handle almost by herself.

I came to a halt outside the door of Sejun's examination room. I took a deep breath to calm down before carefully opening the door, ready for something to happen. Except nothing happened.

Zafirah and Sejun were looking at me, but Devante was nowhere to be seen. _Maybe he'd gone to the bathroom?_

"Are you just going to stand there or come in?" Zafirah asked. I closed the door behind and went to stand next to Zafirah as Sejun pressed around on her stomach. "I thought you decided to skip this one."

"Seungsik had to remind me that we were in this together," I told her.

"That's always nice to hear," she told me. "Especially because that deadbeat isn't coming, which I kind of expected. He came up with some lame excuse about not being able to get out of work. But that dumbass forgot I know his work schedule and he's doesn't work on Thursdays."

Of course he made an excuse not to come. Something told me he was going to prove himself to be exactly what we all already thought he was, a deadbeat. But I wasn't going to say anything right on the one in a million chance that he proved us all wrong.

"Have you felt anything yet?" Sejun asked after he finished measuring Zafirah's stomach which was getting bigger every week. She was already well into her fifth month. "Any pressure or movement from her?"

Zafirah shook her head. "Should I be feeling something?"

"It varies based on the mom, but she still has plenty of time to start moving around," Sejun told her. "Don't worry about it. Now how have you been? Feeling any back pain? Having trouble sleeping?"

"My back is starting to ache a little bit, but it's not too bad," she told him. "Sleeping is okay. It just takes me a little longer to get comfortable now."

He nodded. "Try sleeping with a pillow between your legs or under your stomach. And make sure you keep up with your exercising, that will help with both. What about cramping?"

She shook her head again and Sejun asked her a few more questions about her body and how she was feeling before the appointment was finally over. "If you have any questions, make sure to call me," Sejun told us. "That goes for both of you, Mommy and Daddy."

And here I thought I would get through one appointment without a daddy joke. I really gave Sejun too much credit there. "I'm waiting for the day where I can embarrass the hell out of you, Sejun." He smirked, dimple deep in his cheek.

"This man walked into a church service naked. Embarrassment is not a thing for him," Zafirah said, hopping off the table. "Now come on Daddy, we need to get to work."

My face turned hot when she said that, and I could hear Sejun wheeze in an attempt to hold in his laughter. I was about to give him a good whack, but Zafirah grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the room before I could even raise my hand. He got lucky just this once. Still I wasn't sure how I felt about Zafirah apparently jumping on the daddy joke bandwagon. Hearing her call me Daddy definitely had a different effect than what I was used to.

"Hey Daddy." Zafirah had been keeping up the daddy thing all day and my face was about to be permanently red. She leaned over the couch and smiled sweetly.

"What do you want?" I asked.

Her hand lifted up to reveal the jar of cocoa butter she was holding. I looked at it and then back at her where she was still smiling. "You love me, right?" She always said that when she wanted me to do something weird for her.

And that was how I ended up rubbing cocoa butter on Zafirah's stomach.

"I love you too much," I said as I worked in the thick butter as gently as I could. "Why couldn't you do this? Your arms work just fine."

"You said we were in this together and one of the things the partner of a pregnant woman has to do is rub cocoa butter on her stomach to prevent stretch marks," Zafirah said with her eyes closed. "Consider it practice for when you actually knock someone up."

I rolled my eyes. I was already doing it for the woman I was going to have a family with. "Isn't this kind of intimate though?"

"Absolutely and I am going to enjoy every second of it," she sighed.

I felt it then. That this was the perfect moment to tell Zafirah how I felt it. It wasn't as heated as when she left me in that bedroom, but it felt right. "Zafirah," I started only to be cut off by the ringing of her phone.

"Hold that thought," she told me as she looked at her phone and groaned. "It's Devante." _You've got to be fucking kidding me._ It was like he had an alarm that went off every time I was going to confess to this woman. "What the hell do you want? ... I don't give a fuck about your phony work schedule. Did you actually need something?"

From the one side that I was hearing, Devante was doing something stupid per usual. It was always refreshing though to see Zafirah call him out on his bullshit instead of just accepting it like when they were together. Now that they had broken up, she could see him for what he was. A broke, selfish idiot that relied on his looks to get what he wanted.

Zafirah pulled her phone away and looked at it like she couldn't believe what she just heard.

"What?" I asked.

"This nigga just asked me if I wanted to roll through. He really just bootycalled me," she told me. Forget what I said earlier, Devante is truly proving himself to be the arrogant fool we all thought he was. Now I could have let Zafirah handle it because she was fully capable and I loved hearing her tear into people, but my patience had run thin with him.

I held out my hand for the phone and she gave me a curious look before handing it to me. I brought it up to my ear where he was still going.

"You know you ain't never gonna have another man like me. I was the best thing you ever had. You think that Chinese nigga could compare to me with his small dick. Ain't no way he could put it down like I did, and you know it. So why don't you bring that juicy ass back over here so I can remind you of that?" Was this really how he talked to women? And he thought that shit worked?

"I'm keeping her pretty busy right now so she ain't coming over," I growled through the phone. "And I'm Korean you idiot. You were right about one thing." I moved my hand from her stomach to her butt and gripped it tight, making Zafirah call out my name. "It sure is juicy and I'm gonna enjoy every bit of it." Just to piss him off even more, I said my last words in Korean. " _My dick is bigger than yours."_

He started cursing, but I just hung up and gave Zafirah her phone back. Her mouth was slightly open as she took her phone and tossed it behind her. "I want to know what he said, and what you just said in Korean. Because what the hell just happened?"

"I really hate that guy," I told her. "How did you stand him for four years talking to you like that?"

"Rose colored glasses are a bitch."


	19. I Just Wanted a Friend

Zabrina's personality may have been messy, but my older sister was an absolute neat freak when it came to her house. It didn't matter what time of day or day of the week it was, her home stayed immaculate. Honestly, she should have a front cover and spread in Better Homes and Gardens. Her rosebushes alone were something straight out of an HGTV show.

"I want my house to be this clean when I have my baby," I said when Zabrina finally sat down. She was naturally a busy body, but she also was always working. My big sis was a therapist, owned her own practice actually. Her need to be in everybody's business ended putting her ass through school to become Dr. Hughes.

She snorted and raised her eyebrow as she sipped her tea. It was ironically her favorite drink and she always carried a mug of it. "Girl, you're going to be so damn tired when you pop that baby out that you'll be lucky if you can even get in a daily shower."

My nose scrunched at the thought. Not being able to wash my body was not in the terms and conditions that I read when it came to motherhood.

"Be happy Seungwoo is willing to tag team with you," Zabrina told me. "If it weren't for Jacob, I would have lost my mind. I give it up to all the single mothers who don't have help."

I never really thought about it, but I realized how lucky I was. Because not only did I have an insanely supportive family who have been there for me every step of the way since I announced my pregnancy without judgment, I also had two amazing best friends who were holding my hands through this process.

The fact that Quanetta was not only planning my gender reveal and baby shower (albeit expensively), but also researching child rearing techniques and helping me prepare for the arrival was completely unnecessary on her end. And it warmed my heart that she was doing that for me.

And Seungwoo literally giving me a home, a job, and willing to go above and beyond to take the role as my partner in this pregnancy. I couldn't even begin to describe the gratitude I would always have for him.

If I weren't lucky enough to be surrounded by people who loved me unconditionally, I could be a single mother who was struggling. I could have been that stereotype that weighed so heavily on my mind when I first found out I was pregnant.

"To those badass single mothers who do it on their own," I said, raising my cup. Zabrina clinked hers against mine.

She took another sip and set it down before clearing her throat. "So what's going on with the baby daddy?"

I clenched my fist really quickly as my whole body tensed up. That tended to be my reaction whenever anyone mentioned my sperm donor. "He missed my prenatal appointment, he acted an ass at my place of work, and he's been harassing me to get back with him."

Zabrina shook her head. "Did he even apologize?"

"Barely. It was buried under him saying that he's the best I'll ever have, and no one will ever compare," I told her. I was seriously considering blocking him on my phone because he was always saying something out of pocket. After 7PM, I refused to answer any of his calls or texts.

"He's a textbook narcissist. I could tell after the first month," Zabrina said. She used the technical term, but it was the same thing I said. The dude had a serious light-skinned nigga mentality. "Honestly, it was only a matter of time before he cheated on you. He had a wandering eye and he thinks he's an alpha male."

"Why didn't he cheat on my before he knocked me up? Or why didn't anyone tell me he wasn't shit?" I asked.

Big Sis sucked her teeth and tucked her legs underneath her. "Little Sis, literally everybody told you he wasn't shit after we first met him. But you're hard-headed like your daddy and didn't want to listen to us so you had to learn the hard way."

"I listen to you," I grumbled, crossing my arms.

"Really? When was that?" She was so trifling, especially when she was right. I had a track record of not listening to the people around me. It tended to be the thing that got me in the most trouble. Like getting knocked up by a deadbeat a with community penis. "Exactly. Now is Devante going to be a part of the baby's life?"

Now it was my turn to suck my teeth. "I would love to say for my daughter's sake that I was giving him the benefit of the doubt and he would do what he needed to do to be an active and present father because that's what she deserves. But he missed my doctor's appointment with a lame excuse about work when that nigga doesn't work on Thursdays, and the only reason he ever contacts me is to get me to have sex with him. He doesn't ask about how I'm doing, he doesn't ask about my pregnancy, he doesn't ask about how she's developing. All he ever does is try to get some pussy and maybe throw some shots at Seungwoo because Devante has a personal grudge against him."

Honestly, the two never liked each other from the jump but they would normally keep it under control when Devante and I were still together. Now that we were broken up it was like all that was thrown out the window. There was so much animosity between the two of them. But I noticed Seungwoo had been actively trying to avoid saying anything or getting in the way of Devante being a father whereas said baby daddy had amped up his attacks to a 1,000.

"Speaking of Seungwoo, how's that whole situation going?" Zabrina asked and I tensed for a whole other reason. I groaned and sank back onto the couch.

"I don't even know with him. He asks me to wait for him, but then he keeps going out on these damn dates with the girls his mom sets him up with. But then he comes home and flirts with me. We almost kissed and then nothing because his sister dropped by. He was arguing on the phone with Devante and fully squeezed my ass and then nothing," I ranted. "He acts like he wants me, but then he goes back to being best friend. I'm confused and I'm getting tired of it. Why don't you psychoanalyze him and tell me what is going on because he won't say anything?"

"I don't need to. He has a fear of his mother and a fear of rejection. The reason why he's still going on these dates is because he's scared to tell his mom no and he keeps flip flopping with you because he's scared you're going to reject him. The man is all confidence until it comes to the two most important women in his life."

"We'll need to set up playdates. Our little Jinwoo would love a friend," Wooseok said as I walked them to the elevator. "Isn't that right, Babe?"

Jinhyuk nodded, hand on the small of Wooseok's back.

"Yes," I agreed, rubbing my stomach unconsciously. "If she's anything like her momma, you might have a hard time getting rid of her though." We all chuckled as the elevator pinged. "Give me a day or so to really look over everything and then we can hit the ground running."

"Just make sure you don't disappear on us again," Jinhyuk told me. I chuckled once more and waved as the elevator doors closed.

Wooseok and Jinhyuk were a sweet married couple with a love of children. They were also my oldest clients and good friends. I met them in college when they were just dating and had an idea to start mentoring kids interested in fine arts. Seven years later and they owned the best fine arts academy on the east coast as well as a chain of dance studios that birthed a few well-known dancers and performers.

They decided to expand their dancewear line which they sold in house. The line was birthed out of a need for their students to have the appropriate clothes, but for it to be affordable because the majority of their students were from low-income families. Now they were taking that idea mainstream and public.

Mumford was their first option because that was where I was, but I had up and quit without telling my clients. So when they got there and met with "a young lady with a bird's name" let's just say they were not impressed.

"That seemed like it went well." I turned to my side where Byungchan had his hand in his pocket. Why did this man always look so damn good? I just want to know who allowed a lawyer to be this fine because we needed to have a conversation.

"Of course it did, don't you know me by now?" I told him with my arms crossed. "They were my first clients when I was a struggling business and marketing major considering changing my program because I failed my advertising principles midterm. Helping them made me realize I was in the right profession and they ended up building an empire."

"Loyalty is a good thing in this business," Byungchan told me and I nodded. Loyalty was everything in a business where money has the most pull, a fact I was pretty sure that Emu and Mumford were starting to figure out.

"So what's up? Hiding from Naeun so you don't have to do work?" I asked the tall lawyer and he smiled, dimples deepening. When I say you could swim in his dimples, I meant the Olympic pool had nothing on how deep those indentations were.

I just noticed that he had a hand behind his back which he brought out to present me a cup with light purple liquid that had black balls on the bottom. I gasped and looked up at him excitedly. _Please tell me it's what I think it is. Please tell me it's what I think it is._

"Taro bubble tea?" he offered and I snatched it from his hands quicker than lightning.

I looked around but didn't see Subin or Seungwoo in the vicinity. I took a sip of the deliciously sweet elixir and moaned. "I love you, you're amazing," I told Byungchan after chewing the syrupy boba.

The crazy cravings may have died down, but I would still get one here and there. Like recently, I have been wanting nothing but some sugary taro bubble tea. Seungwoo had been denying me of my right to delicious beverages though in favor of that disgusting nettle tea that I kept throwing out but it kept mysteriously returning to the pantry. And of course because my assistant is a mini Seungwoo, Subin had also been rejecting my boba requests.

But dear, beautiful Byungchan knew of my desperate need and provided what I had been crazing for the past two weeks. We had known each other for barely a month and he already knew me so well. "Thank you from me and the baby," I told him.

"I also might have ordered lunch from the Thai place," he said.

"Is it too early ask for marriage because you're saying all the right things to me," I told him and he laughed. "Lunch in my office?"

I didn't realize it, but I had been spending a lot of time with Byungchan. It was crazy how close we had gotten to each other in such a short amount of time. The only person I had become such good friends with even quicker was Quanetta and that was because she made me commit vandalism with her.

Even Seungwoo and I didn't become friends this quickly.

It was nice to have another friend though. Quanetta was amazing and I wouldn't replace her with anyone, but I couldn't spend all my time with Quanetta. We both had lives outside of each other and I wasn't going to monopolize all her time when she had other friends and a whole family.

And Seungwoo...I didn't know with him anymore. He was my best friend, had been since we were kids, but recently things had been weird. He kept giving me mixed signals and I was confused. I didn't know if he did actually love me in a romantic way or it was just platonic. Every time I thought we were gonna move past friends, he just stops.

A bitch may have been going on six months of pregnancy, but she could still put on a heel and get cute. My edges were laid, my face was beat, and I was ready.

"Where are you going?" Seungwoo asked as I passed by him.

"Byungchan is taking me out to dinner, maybe a movie if we're feeling fancy and want to stunt on these hoes," I told him, grabbing my purse. "We'll see where the night takes us."

Seungwoo crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. "Should you really be going out in your condition?"

Weird question, but I would let it slide. "I'm pregnant, not dying. Even pregnant ladies like to have nights out on the town with friends."

"Anyone else going to be there?" he asked.

"No, just me and Byungchan," I told him.

He nodded slowly. "You know, you've been hanging out with him a lot."

I really wasn't liking his tone of voice. He sounded like he was judging me, all his questions sounding like snide remarks. "And what about it?"

He got off the wall and shrugged, but a hint of a sneer played at his mouth. "People just might get the wrong idea about you two."

I narrowed my eyes and crossed my arms. Did he just say what I thought he said? This fool must have lost his motherfucking mind. "What wrong idea? That we're two adults hanging out like adults do? And who cares what people who don't know us think?"

"I'm just saying it's a bad look," Seungwoo growled, and that set me off.

"You know what else is a bad look? You having a pregnant woman living in your house while you're going out and dating other people. But that hasn't stopped you, has it? How about you look at your damn self before you come for me," I spat at him.

"This isn't about me! I just don't want you out there looking like a hoe!"

Time stopped for a second as I processed what he just said before that little flame that had ignited turned into a full force inferno. "I'm a fucking adult! I can be a damn hoe if I want to be a hoe! And it's none of your fucking business who I am a hoe for! If I want to be a hoe for Byungchan, I can fucking do that!"

"You said you would wait for me! It hasn't even been two fucking months and you're already hopping to the next available dick! And you fucking do it with my fucking employee?" he roared. At this point, we were in each other's faces as we yelled at each other heatedly.

"Are you fucking kidding me? I have been waiting! You're the one who's been going out on these dates with other women! You go on a date, but text shit to my phone! And still agree to meet with her! But I'm hopping to the next dick for wanting to hang out with someone?" I screamed.

He pushed his hair out of his face. "You know it's not like that."

"It's exactly like that! How is it right that you ask me to wait for you to get the balls to say what you want while you're out and about with other women? Then you come here and push up on me and get my hopes up that maybe you're finally going to man up. I don't wait for men who don't want to figure their shit out, but I gave you the benefit of the doubt! So how fucking dare you stand here and call me a hoe because of some stupid stipulation you made up when you're dating and I just want to hang out with a friend."

I turned around and grabbed my purse that I had thrown before striding past Seungwoo. I was so angry with him that I couldn't even look at him, but I had one last thing to say to him. So before I walked out the door, I told him without turning around, "I have been waiting for you for years and I'm fucking tired of it."

I slammed the door behind me, still planning to spend my time with Byungchan.


	20. Lonely

As childhood best friends, Zafirah and Seungwoo had a lot in common, some good, some bad. But the worst trait they shared was how stubborn they both were.

Zafirah came back that night to a dark apartment and Seungwoo's door shut. She paused for a brief moment outside of it, contemplating whether or not to knock. And if she did knock, what would she say? Yeah, she might have been a little harsh when she told him she was tired of waiting, but he wasn't so innocent. He called her a hoe and slut shamed her.

She took a deep breath and stepped back from his door, choosing instead to take a shower and head to bed.

Seungwoo heard her come in and he thought about saying something to her, maybe apologizing for the fight. He knew accusing her of only caring about sex was uncalled for, but she was also wrong. She said she would wait for him yet there she was dating someone else. One of his employees no less!

Clenching his jaw, Seungwoo laid back down and turned over, putting his back to the door.

That weekend was like a cold war in the penthouse. The two friends spent their time in their rooms, avoiding the other. And when they had no choice but to interact, it was a silent interaction filled to the brim with stubborn tension, neither willing to yield.

It was almost suffocating, air thick and filling their lungs like sludge with unsaid words. And it continued to grow thicker and thicker.

Until Seungwoo left without a word on his business trip, leaving a 6 months pregnant Zafirah alone in the apartment. Instead of the jaw-clenching, chest pressing tension that had taken over the apartment, now it was a deafening silence of loneliness and regret.

"You know not all of you needed to come, right?" Zafirah said to a full doctor's office. Zabrina, Zenobia, Monique, Jasmine, and Quanetta stared back at her like she was crazy. "Don't y'all have jobs?"

"Like we're going to let you go to your check up by yourself with Seungwoo out of town," Zenobia said. Zafirah's stomach turned at the mention of Seungwoo. She was still mad, but his absence in the apartment was like a punch to the heart. "And I hope you have enough food in the fridge."

"Why?" Zafirah asked.

"We're sleeping over," Jasmine told her and each of them had an identical grin on their face. "That's a big apartment to be alone in."

Zafirah let out a lone chuckled and smiled as best she could. It really was big. Especially when there was no one to share it with. "What if I had plans tonight?"

Zabrina pursed her lips and rolled her eyes. "You've been texting each of us every night since Seungwoo left. You know damn well that you don't have any plans tonight except sitting on that couch in your pajamas and crying while you watch some cartoon movie."

Her older sister really could read her like a book because for the past few nights, Zafirah had been sitting on the couch until the wee hours of the morning and watching animated films. Ever since Seungwoo left...

"Looks like I got a full house today."

All of the ladies turned to the new voice in the room. Sejun stood at the door, dimple beaming out at them with his bright smile. The five women sitting on the chairs all stared at the doctor, mouths slightly gaped. Every one of them was thinking the same thing. _He is fine._

"Sorry Sejun, they kind of forced their way into my appointment," Zafirah apologized and Sejun waved it off. If there was one thing, he never wanted his patients to apologize for, it was having the support of family and friends. He hadn't seen quite a few who didn't have anyone by their side. "These are my sisters Zabrina and Zenobia, my cousin Monique, my sister-in-law Jasmine, and my best friend Quanetta. This is Dr. Lim."

"Call me Sejun," he corrected her. "Nice to meet you all. Alright Zafirah, how are you feeling?"

Zafirah shrugged. "The same, I guess. Nothing really new going on with me or Baby Z."

Sejun nodded and looked through her charts before putting on some gloves. "Still haven't come up with a name yet?" Zafirah shook her head. "Well you got 3 more months before we met the little one. Now have you been feeling any movement from her, any kicking?" Again, Zafirah shook her head.

"Shouldn't she have started kicking? Could there be something wrong?" Worry started to creep up on Zafirah like a spider, slow and tense.

Sejun shook his head calmly as he pressed around on her stomach. "Remember, these things move at their own speed. She might still just be resting in there before she starts showing those soccer skills she got from her daddy." Zafirah's lip pulled up in a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

That morning when Zabrina picked Zafirah up, she just expected to get dropped off to her lonely apartment. Instead the car pulled right into the spot next to Seungwoo's car, and women piled out of it like it was clown car, getting bags from the trunk.

"I thought you guys were only staying the night?" Zafirah said, watching Monique roll with an actual suitcase meant for long trips.

"Tonight, a few nights. What difference does it make?" Jasmine said, walking by with a garment bag slung over her shoulder.

 _"A big difference,"_ Zafirah thought as she saw Quanetta pull her luggage behind her as they walked to the elevator. She knew they were doing it for her though and it might have been nice to have some more people in the apartment. How Seungwoo lived there by himself for all those years was beyond her.

So she let them make themselves at home and raid her fridge and take a dip in the pool and take a ridiculous amount of pictures on the spiral staircase that she used to love, but now was the bane of her very existence. And she participated in the antics, allowing their shenanigans to distract her from the depressing mood she had found herself in.

Looking at the empty wine glasses on the table and her own that had been full of grape juice, Zafirah couldn't help but shake her head. Nothing could have prepared her for tonight. Monique and Zenobia were having a twerk contest that Zenobia was clearly winning since Monique's ass was as flat as a pancake. Zabrina and Jasmine were making it rain on the two of them with fake money that Jasmine just so happened to have on her person.

Unknown to the partying girls inside, a lone woman stood outside of the apartment, checking her appearance for the 18th time since she had stepped foot in the building. She pressed her red tinted lips together once more before putting her mirror away and steeling her shoulders. She adjusted her trench coat, making sure it wasn't too tight around her.

"This is the apartment," she said to herself. Summoning her courage, she rang the doorbell. Half a minute had passed and the door had not opened. She rang the doorbell again and fluffed her hair. The familiar sound of a door being unlocked made her place a smile that she hoped was nice on her face.

It quickly fell when the door opened up and a beautiful black woman with a body an IG model could only dream of was the one standing behind it. "Can I help you?" she asked politely.

"I think I have the wrong address. I was looking for Seungwoo..."

"Zafirah!" the woman called back into the apartment before turning back around and smiling nicely. "What's your name?"

"J-Jisoo," Jisoo stuttered out.

The woman nodded and turned back around. "She said her name's Jisoo." She disappeared behind the door and another beautiful black woman took her place.

Jisoo felt her blood run cold at the sight of her very pregnant stomach.

"How can I help you?" she asked nicely, an innocent smile on her plump lips.

"I was looking for Seungwoo, but I think I have the wrong apartment," Jisoo told her, hoping that there was indeed a mix up with the address Mrs. Han had sent her.

The girl's smile fell slightly and a hand went up to her stomach. "Seungwoo's out of town right now." There was a loud shout from inside the apartment and Jisoo jumped. The girl gave Jisoo an apologetic look. "Sorry, I have family over. With Seungwoo being gone, they didn't want me to be alone, being pregnant and all. Did you need to speak with him about something important? Or I could take a message?"

Jisoo shook her head quickly. "No, it wasn't that important. I'll just go."

"Are you sure?"

"Really, it can wait. Congratulations," Jisoo told her with an awkward laugh before turning around and hightailing it out of there before the girl who she assumed was called Zafirah could respond.

Her face was hot and she knew she was red. Why wouldn't she be? She felt humiliated and looking down at her outfit worsened it ten times. Underneath her trench coat, she was wearing nothing but skimpy lingerie. She had gone there expecting to seduce the man that she had been set up with. Instead she was met with a very pregnant woman who appeared to be living in his apartment with him.

She had never been put in a situation like this and there were so many thoughts and emotions running through her mind. But she put the chaos raging inside her on pause and pulled out her phone. Mrs. Han had some explaining to do.

Back inside the apartment, Zafirah shrugged her shoulders and closed the door. She would make sure to tell Seungwoo that someone had come by looking for him. Or get one of the other girls to text him because they were not speaking to each other. And she might have been feeling lonely without him, but she refused to give in first.

"Who was that?" Jasmine asked. The others had paused their antics to listen to her.

"Some girl named Jisoo," she told them. "Said she was looking for Seungwoo."

"What did she want?" Quanetta asked. "She looked like she was a stripper or something. I should have told her to tighten her belt because I could see her lingerie."

Zafirah shrugged again. "I don't know. She didn't say and she left really quickly. I don't know how she even got this address." She didn't want to think the worst, but...

"What if it's some girl he rejected and she's obsessed with him?" Monique said and Zabrina reached over to give her a quick smack to the back of the head. She gave the older a dirty look and rubbed the tender spot.

"Don't think too hard about it," she told their gracious host. "Just talk to Seungwoo in the morning." Zafirah nodded.

Later that night, while all the girls were passed out on the couches, Zafirah sat out on the balcony wide awake. It was a surprisingly peaceful night for the city, almost like it knew her solemn mood.

"So what's really going on?"

Zafirah looked to the door to see Monique standing out there with her arms crossed. Zafirah pressed her lips into a tight line and Monique sighed, settling onto the couch next to her cousin.

"What are you talking about?" Zafirah said, deciding to play dumb.

"You're sitting out here in the middle of the night moping instead of in the middle of a snuggle pile, you touchy feely bitch," Monique said and Zafirah chuckled a little. "Come on, we all know something is up with you. We can feel it. What happened?"

Zafirah let out another a chuckle but it was watery, and she sniffled. She didn't know why she thought she could pretend she was fine in front of these women. No one knew her better than them and they were all in tune with her and her vibes. Of course, Monique was the one out there with her too.

Her cousin was a natural caring person, always making sure the people around her were good and doing what she could to ensure that.

"Seungwoo and I got into this huge fight," Zafirah started. "I was just going to hang out with some guy I became friends with, and it blew up into this stupid argument about the damn five months. We both said some pretty fucked up things and we haven't spoken since."

"And you're both too stubborn to apologize," Monique quickly figured out. "So why are you sitting out here in the middle of the night?"

"I haven't been able to sleep since he left," Zafirah finally admitted. "This apartment is so big and everything echoes and...it's so lonely here without him. It feels like I shouldn't be here when he's not home."

"Sounds like you miss him," Monique said and Zafirah reluctantly nodded. Her cousin had hit the nail on the head. She missed her best friend/roommate. "But tell me again about this five month agreement between you two." Zafirah explained the agreement (or at least the parts she knew about) once again to a patient Monique. "And why haven't you done anything?"

"What do you mean?" Zafirah asked.

Monique sighed once more and fully turned to face her cousin. "He gave himself five months to confess his feelings and asked you to wait for him which I am assuming means he wants you to stay single the whole five months. I get that, it lowkey sounds like some Seungwoo shit. What I can't wrap my head around is you sitting around, waiting the five months. You've never waited for a guy. You were the always the one who was proactive and make shit happen yourself. So why haven't you made the move to become more than friends yourself?"

Seungwoo looked down at his phone, debating whether or not to hit send. He just left without saying goodbye and he was fine with that in the moment. He was just mad and being petty. But now he was starting to regret it.

He remembered how lonely that apartment was when you were the only one in there. He could only imagine how Zafirah was feeling all by herself. _"You told her that you would be by her side the entire way through,"_ he thought to himself as he stared at the apology he had typed out. Just as his thumb was about to press the button, the ugly green monster reared its head inside. _"She's probably with Byungchan right now anyway."_

He sighed and put his phone away, his stubbornness and jealousy getting the best of him.


	21. I'm Not Your Pawn

The girls didn't stay for longer than the weekend since everyone still had lives and jobs to get back to. But just that weekend picked up Zafirah's spirits and she started to feel a little better. The apartment still felt huge and cold, but she was coping with it a lot easier. She had even been able to sleep.

So when she got to work, she was full of fresh new energy that she had been missing since Seungwoo left on his business trip. And everyone had noticed the skip in her step and authentic smile in her eyes.

"Good morning Subinnie," she greeted happily as she walked into her office, her assistant following behind her. "What's on the schedule today?"

He read off her schedule from the planner in his hands. It was a packed Monday for her but she was good. Zafirah liked working because she liked what she did and she liked to use her knowledge and skills to make people happy. She was a proud workaholic.

And she immersed herself in her work until lunchtime when Baby Z started demanding actual food be fed to her. Before she could even get up though, the door to her office opened and Monique walked in with a bag.

"Did someone order lunch?" she said.

Zafirah got up to run around the desk and hug her cousin. Monique reciprocated before she pulled back to look at the office. She had never come to see her cousin's office and she had to give props. It was nice.

"You got a view and everything in here," Monique said. "Plus your assistant is super cute." She set the food down on the desk. "I brought your favorite salad from Green Place."

"The avocado cobb?"

"Yes ma'am."

There was a knock on the door and the two cousins turned to the door. Byungchan stood in the doorway with papers in hand. "Sorry to interrupt," he said.

"You're fine, just about to sit down for some lunch. This is my cousin Monique. What can I help you with, Byungchan?" Zafirah asked, walking over to the lawyer.

He handed her the papers in his hand. "Just needed your approval on this contract with Weishin Incorporated before we send it over to them." She took the papers and looked over them, nodding her head from time to time and whispering to herself.

"It all looks good to me," she said handing it back to him. "Thanks Byungchan."

"No problem. Still need a ride after work?" he asked her. She nodded, looking up at him with wide eyes and a pushed out lower lip. He rolled his eyes but chuckled at her puppy dog face. "Okay, stop looking at me like that. I'll see you later then. Nice to meet you Monique."

Monique let out a high-pitched hum in response as he left that made Zafirah look back at her. She looked just about embarrassed as Zafirah felt for her.

"What the hell was that?" Zafirah asked after closing the door behind her. She didn't need the poor girl to experience any more embarrassment that day.

"First you got a hot doctor then your assistant is cute now you got this fine coworker," Monique said. "On top of the fact you live with your sexy ass best friend. I'm done with you."

Zafirah rolled her eyes and took a seat in the chair next to Monique, pulling out her salad. "I can give you three of their numbers if you want. You already know not to expect shit from me when it comes to Seungwoo."

"Have you spoken to him yet?" Monique asked, finally sitting down and pulling out her own Chinese chicken salad.

Zafirah shook her head as she poured the dressing into her salad and shaking it up. Her talk with Monique on the balcony had opened her eyes to quite a few things. But at the end of the day, she was still very stubborn and had a problem with admitting when she was wrong. Especially if she felt that she had been wronged in return.

"Not even about the strippergram that literally showed up at his front door?"

"Don't call her that. We don't even know who that girl was," Zafirah told her, but Monique just rolled her eyes. She knew that her cousin was thinking the exact same thing that she was. "And how would I even say that? 'Hey I know that we aren't talking because you called me a hoe, but one of your actual hoes showed up in her panties and a trench coat.' I think the fuck not."

"Your life, your decisions," Monique sighed before deciding to change the subject. "I didn't know Devante played soccer."

"What?" Zafirah asked in confusion, eyebrow raised and the right corner of her lips downturned. "The only sport that nigga has ever played is beer pong and he sucks at it."

"But your doctor said something about your baby getting soccer skills from her daddy," Monique pointed out and Zafirah groaned, throwing her head back and sliding down into her chair. Monique looked at her strangely, not understanding the woman's reaction.

"He meant Seungwoo," she finally revealed and it was Monique's turn to be confused. "Sejun's actually a good friend of ours who we've known since college. He's had this stupid joke going since he found out I was pregnant where he refers to Seungwoo as the father of my child."

"And you're okay with that? Is Seungwoo okay with that?"

Zafirah bit at the corner of her lip. In her head, she was debating whether or not she would tell Monique. She hadn't even told her siblings and they told each other every dirty detail. But maybe she needed to tell someone.

"I heard Seungwoo talking to my stomach when he thought I was asleep. He called himself Appa to the baby," Zafirah confessed, still worrying at the corner of her lip.

"What is an appa?" Monique asked.

"It's Korean. It means Daddy," she told her.

Monique's eyes widened at the revelation and they both sat in silence as the admission sunk in.

"Do you want him to be the daddy?" Monique asked after a few minutes.

There were a few more minutes of silence as Zafirah thought about it. "Yes," she finally said.

"Then you need to talk to Seungwoo as soon as possible. Before..."

Monique didn't need to finish her sentence for Zafirah to know what she was going to say.

_Before it was too late._

Zafirah sat on the couch, phone in hand and Seungwoo's number pulled up. But she was hesitating to actually call him. What would she say? Should she apologize? He also said some fucked up things so why shouldn't he apologize first?

But she was broken out of her thoughts by the front door opening. She knew Seungwoo wasn't do back yet. Maybe he had cut his trip early to come back and fix what had happened. Or it could be Sunhwa checking up on her. Her brother might have told her about the fight and asked her to stop by to see how Zafirah was.

The person who walked in though was not there with positive intentions. Zafirah slowly stood up, leaving her phone on the couch.

"So you are here."

"Hello Mrs. Han."

Seungwoo's mother stood there in her designer pantsuit and purse from the latest winter collection. She took off her sunglasses, allowing herself to look over Zafirah with an obvious look of disdain before her eyes stopped at Zafirah's stomach.

"Would you like some tea?" Zafirah asked to be polite. In her head she was saying quite a few not polite things about the woman in her apartment.

"Let me get straight to the point," she said, sitting in the chair on the other side of the coffee table. She pulled an envelope out of her purse and threw it on the table towards Zafirah.

The younger looked at the envelope and then back at the woman, clearly unimpressed. "And what is that supposed to be?"

Mrs. Han was unfazed by Zafirah's attitude and kept her steely composure. "$5 million for you to take yourself and that child and leave my son alone."

"Are you kidding me?"

Mrs. Han sighed before she reached into her bag and pulled out another envelope that she threw on the table. "Of course you wouldn't be satisfied with a gracious 5. Fine, $10 million should be enough to support that child. Disappear from my son's life. He has a good future ahead of him where he marries a good Korean girl and has his own family. You were a mistake he made in a moment of weakness and he doesn't understand the consequences. But I do and I will not allow that mistake you're carrying into my family."

Zafirah clenched her jaw and took a breath. Mrs. Han had never minced words with her and she had always made it clear since Zafirah was a teenager that she did not approve. It was something that Zafirah just rolled with and didn't let affect her. But her baby was not a mistake and she refused to just let that shit slide.

"What right do you have to call my baby a mistake? And for you to just walk up in here and throw money at me like I'm some random gold digging bitch looking to drain your son dry. One, who treats people like problems you can just throw money at and two, you're not gonna intimidate me into doing what you want like you do your family. I'm a grown woman living my own life, not some pawn under your thumb while you try to construct some absurd perfect life. So you can keep your petty money and show yourself out," Zafirah told her before standing up and grabbing her phone. Just as she was about to walk upstairs she paused and turned back around to the clearly not happy Mrs. Han. "And the baby isn't Seungwoo's. He was just helping me out. It's crazy how good of a person your son is when you're the example he has to follow."

Feeling she had said everything she needed to say, Zafirah made her way upstairs, leaving Mrs. Han to let herself out.

"Excuse me," Seungsik said, pulling Seungwoo away from his conversation.

"What?" Seungwoo asked. The CFO looked like he had just received the worst news, his eyes downturned. "Seungsik, what happened?"

"It's about Zafirah," he told his longtime friend.

A million thoughts about what could possibly be wrong ran through Seungwoo's head. It was too early for her to go into labor. Was there something wrong with the baby? Had she hurt herself? But through all that worry, that green eyed monster reared its ugly head and all Seungwoo could see was Byungchan being there with her.

"She has family there and Byungchan," Seungwoo finally responded.

Seungsik wanted to smack his stubborn friend, had been wanting to since they left on this damn business trip. Especially when he found out about the fight and what Seungwoo had said. This wasn't the time though. Something important had just happened and they needed to focus on that. They needed to put their petty argument aside.

"Your mom found out Zafirah was living with you," Seungsik told him and Seungwoo's face began to morph into one of horror. "She went to go see her."

"I have to go home," Seungwoo whispered and Seungsik nodded in agreement. Their business was done anyway, but Seungwoo had been reluctant to leave. Not wanting to face Zafirah and their fight.

Seungwoo thanked the taxi driver and all but ran up to his apartment. He quickly punched in the key code and stumbled into his apartment. It was quiet, too quiet for comfort. Only Zafirah's shoes sat at the door.

 _"Duh, it's the middle of the night,"_ he thought to himself. He slid off his shoes and put his coat on the coat rack next to the door before heading upstairs.

He stopped in front of Zafirah's door and thought about knocking but thought again. What would he say? Should he apologize? Would she accept his apology? Did she even want to see him?

Seungwoo sighed before continuing on to his room. He opened his door and put his luggage down before immediately hopping into the shower. Under the water, he thought about what to say to her. And what his mom had said to her. And what his mom would say to him. There was just so much that needed to be talked about and he didn't know if he was ready to talk about it. He didn't know if it was the right time.

_"You're always waiting for the right time. The perfect time you're thinking of doesn't exist!"_

Sunhwa was right. He couldn't wait anymore. He had spent his entire life waiting and look what it got him.

Seungwoo walked out of his bathroom, about to lay down when he stopped and noticed the state of his bed. All his pillows and his blanket were gone. They were there when he left.

He sighed and shook his head before going back into the hallway and stopping in front of Zafirah's door. He took a deep breath before knocking gently. He didn't receive a response so he tried to push the nerves rising up in his stomach down before carefully opening the door quietly.

What he saw made him melt into a puddle.

Zafirah was fast asleep surrounded by Seungwoo's pillows, under Seungwoo's blanket. All of his anger and jealousy melted away at the sight. Instead he realized just how much he missed over the past week.

Carefully, he climbed into the bed, moving some of the pillows out of his way and pulling Zafirah into his arms.

She shuffled around before groaning and looking up. "Seungwoo? You're home?"

"I'm home," he said quietly. "Sorry I woke you up."

"It's okay. I missed you," she told him.

"I missed you too," he told her.

It was quiet for a few moments as the two thought about what to say next. They couldn't just let the fight go unsaid. Zafirah was the first to speak up. "I'm sorry. I told you I would wait and I am, I promise. Byungchan and I are just friends, nothing more."

Seungwoo wasn't prepared for her to apologize first. Especially after he had just spent all that time in the shower thinking of the perfect apology. He could see how upset she really was though.

"I shouldn't have asked you to wait and still allowed my mom to keep setting me up on dates. It wasn't fair to you. And I'm sorry for calling you a hoe. I've never thought of you like that. I was just mad and took it out on you. And I'm an asshole who doesn't deserve you," he said.

"I'm an asshole too so we deserve each other," she told him, smiling slightly. He smiled in return before leaning over to talk to her stomach.

"I'm home. Did you treat Mommy well while I was gone?" he asked. Zafirah suddenly grunted and held her stomach. He looked back up at her in worry. "Are you okay?"

She nodded. "Can you talk to her some more?"

Seungwoo looked at her before reluctantly turning back to her stomach. "I'm sorry for leaving without saying goodbye. I was being stupid. I was scared someone else would take my place. But I thought about you and Mommy every day. What you were doing? If she was feeding you good food?" Zafirah lightly smacked the back of his head. "I wanted to come back and apologize about being mean to Mommy. For not being with her like I promised."

Zafirah grimaced again before taking Seungwoo's hand and placing it on her stomach. "Keep talking."

"I promise that I'm never leaving like that again," he said and then he could feel it. The movement under his hand. He looked up at Zafirah who was smiling at him. "Did she?"

"She kicked," Zafirah told him. "I guess she missed your voice." He smiled and moved back up next to her, pulling her back into his arms. They were quiet for a few more moments, enough to make Seungwoo think Zafirah had fallen asleep. But she readjusted, weaving her arms around his neck and looking into his eyes. "I know you wanted to wait, but we've been waiting for thirteen years. Seungwoo, no one will ever be able to take your place because I'll never love anyone like I love you. Because I'm in love with you."

Seungwoo didn't say anything as Zafirah moved closer until she pressed their lips together. He froze for a second before melting into the kiss, moving his hands to her hips to pull her as close as he could. Her hands reached up to play with the hairs at the back of his head.

He pulled away from her. "I'm in love with you too. You're the only woman I've ever loved. I'm sorry it took me so long to finally tell you."

"It's okay," Zafirah whispered before Seungwoo pulled her back in for another kiss.


	22. Ain't Payback a B*tch?

****

My blaring alarm jolted me awake and I turned it off before moving to get up, but the arms around my waist stopped me. I turned back to Seungwoo who still had his eyes closed. "We got to get up."

"We're not going into work today," he said still not opening his eyes.

"We can't just not go in because you said so," I scoffed.

"Yes I can. Boss's orders. Now come lay down," he sighed.

I rolled my eyes, but still laid down. He pulled me closer and nuzzled into the back of my neck. It was really warm, but really nice.

The second time I got up, the sun was beaming through my window and my stomach was telling me I needed food. So as carefully as I could I removed Seungwoo's grip and climbed out of the bed. I didn't even bother to pull on pants. I just made my way downstairs to the kitchen in the oversized sweater. _If his ass can walk around shirtless then I can walk around pantsless._

I pulled out the ingredients for pancakes and started mixing them up. I remembered what happened last night, but I wasn't sure if it was real or just a dream. I mean Monique's talk had me thinking plus that situation with the girl at my door in her birthday suit. My brain could have made anything up.

"Good morning," Seungwoo said, coming into the kitchen. I turned my head to return the good morning and instead was greeted with a kiss. I blinked, trying to process what just happened.

"I wasn't dreaming," I said to myself. I actually turned to look at Seungwoo as he leaned against the counter, head ruffled by the bed and still no shirt. _Fuck these pancakes._ I put the bowl down and instead put my arms around Seungwoo's neck as I pulled him down for a long kiss. His hand rested on my waist as he kissed back, lips soft and molding against my own.

He nipped at my bottom lip and I could feel one of his hands lower to my ass while the other slid underneath my sweater, feeling hot to the touch. He squeezed at my behind and I groaned, my eyes rolling back even though they were closed. "Is this my sweater?" he asked into my ear, breath hot and making tingles shoot down my spine.

"It smelled like you," I breathed out.

His lips brushed along my neck, nipping ever so softly here and there. It was driving me insane, but I didn't want him to stop. I wanted him to do it harder, to mark me up like he was staking his claim. "I think I want it back," he said between nips, hands starting to bunch the sweater up near my chest.

"But I only have my underwear on," I told him. _Just like her._

"I think I'll take those too," he said, coming back to kiss me. Suddenly all I could think about was the girl showing up at our door in nothing but a trench coat and lingerie, asking for Seungwoo. I pulled away from him and he tried to follow me. I put my hand up to his chest and he stopped, looking worried and a little hurt.

I backed away from him and pulled the sweater down. "We need to talk."

I finished making breakfast and we ate in relative silence. Once we both finished, I took both of our plates and put them in the sink to wash for later. I walked back over to my seat, but Seungwoo pulled me into his lap.

I took a deep breath before looking at him. "Some woman came by looking for you. She showed up in a trench coat and her panties. And she said her name was Jisoo." I watched his face morph from confused to scared to exasperated. "I assume you know her."

"She was the last girl I went out with. The one Mom wanted me to keep seeing. I guess that was how she knew where I lived," he explained, his brows knitting together in irritation. "I'm sorry Zafirah. I should have broken it off after the first date. I'll talk to her and make it clear that nothing is going to happen."

 _You better buddy because ain't no naked hoes need to be showing up to this apartment unless they're me._ "That explains how your Mom knew I was here," I said before I explained his mother's surprise visit and her attempt at bribery. Talking about it made me mad all over again, but I wasn't going to leave anything out. He needed to know what she said. Not because I wanted him to get mad and be on my side against his mom. I was telling him because what she did, what she said, was not okay.

He didn't say anything when I finished. He sat there, thinking. I stayed quiet, allowing him the silence to think and process. It was quiet for a while as Seungwoo thought.

Finally he spoke. "I need to speak to my mom. I always knew she had a problem with you, but to throw money at you and call you a mistake...call our daughter a mistake. I can't allow that. I won't allow that."

I was just gonna breeze over that 'our daughter' part for now and file it for later discussion. "Are you sure?" I asked him.

He had never looked more serious about something. "It's been a long time coming. I'm sorry for what she said and how she's acted for the past thirteen years. I've let it slide for too long."

"It's not your fault," I told him. She was his mother and a grown woman. He couldn't control how she acted and I never expected him to. That was why I never held it against him. He was just the child in this situation. He couldn't make her nicer, more understanding, more patient. He couldn't make her a better person.

"It is though. I should have told her I wasn't going to be set up. I should have told her to stop. She needs to understand that there is no one else in this world for me. Only you. There's no me without you."

I bit my lip, but that did nothing to stop a tear from dropping down my face. He reached up to wipe it away and I leaned into his hand, looking down at him. I wanted to etch this exact moment into my mind so that I would never forget it. His beautiful eyes, his pure smile, his warm hand, everything.

"I love you," I told him.

"I love you too," he responded.

We sat like that for a few seconds, just looking into each other's eyes fondly. "So...are you going to tell me what you said in that den?"

He playfully rolled his eyes and ran his fingers over my sides, making me twitch with giggles. "Is it that important that you know?" I nodded while I giggled. He sighed and stopped tickling me, smile still on his face. "I said that no other woman could compare to you. No one would be as smart, as feisty, as caring, as perfect as you. It didn't matter who else you put in front of me, you would always be better. And I will spend the rest of my life by your side."

I leaned down to kiss him. "Definitely worth the wait."

"What else happened while I was gone?" he asked me, changing the subject. His hand started tapping on my thigh. "Please don't tell me that idiot came by too."

I snorted. "I had to block that nigga. He stayed coming at me out of pocket and not giving one damn about the baby," I told him. Seungwoo kept smiling and I rolled my eyes. I knew he was happy that I blocked Devante. "I had my doctor's appointment. Sejun said everything is looking good with Baby Z."

"I'm sorry I missed your appointment," he apologized.

"Stop apologizing, we were mad at each other. I had all of the girls there for support. And to answer your question last night, Monique stayed on my ass about eating healthy and would bring me lunch. Actually speaking of my beautiful cousin, I set her up with Sejun, Subin, and Byungchan," I told him. True to my word, I gave her each of their numbers. And if my assistant or my new best friend happened to be looking a little more smiley lately, so be it.

His hand began to stroke my thigh as the other one held fast to my waist. "I know you just said stop apologizing, but I'm really sorry about the whole Byungchan situation. I should have trusted you but even then, it is your life and Byungchan is a good guy."

My hands rested at the back of his neck, playing with the ends of his hair. _It's getting kind of long. I like it._ "He is and he's a great friend. I only really had you, my family, and Quanetta, and all of you kind of treated me like I was some delicate flower who had to be watched and couldn't take care of herself." He opened his mouth to say something and I shushed him. "I'm a grown woman who just so happens to be pregnant. That doesn't mean that I no longer like going out every once in a while, or eating food that isn't super healthy. Byungchan was really the only one who treated me like normal."

Honestly, becoming friends with Byungchan helped me keep my sanity. It was like as soon as people would find out I was pregnant, suddenly I didn't know what was best for myself. Everyone had to take care of me or handle my business. Byungchan was the only one who didn't think like that.

"We're just worried about you," Seungwoo said, his thumb drawing circles in my waist. "But we do need to back off. You've been looking out for yourself for 9 years, you're an adult."

"Thank you," I said before leaning down to press a kiss to his lips. "Now how was the business trip? Did you break bread, rub elbows, schmooze, and make even more money than you could spend in your lifetime?"

He laughed and I subconsciously brushed off my shoulders. _I am hilarious._ "Yes, to all of those. It went really well. You know Youflix?"

"That giant conglomerate that revolutionized movie and TV streaming?" I asked, my eyebrows probably in my hairline. Who doesn't know Youflix? They almost made cable obsolete.

"I might have negotiated a contract with them."

"What!?" It took me literally 10 minutes to calm down from me losing all of my shit. This was the biggest contract of the fucking century and my man snatched it up like it was nothing. Forget the damn rivalry between Hankang and Mumford. Hankang was about to be the top marketing firm in the freaking country.

This deserves celebration.

Seungwoo put his hand on the small of my back as we walked into the restaurant, a dazed grin on his face.

"You look like you're not able to understand higher thought right now," I told him. "Can you stop?"

"You just sucked my dick, be happy I can even slightly function right now," he whispered into my ear and nipped at my lobe. I bit my lip to stop from making any sounds. His hot breath made my lower half twitch with arousal.

"Your table is right this way, Mr. Han."

When the hostess came, this fool had the audacity to pull away and smile like he wasn't just going to work on my ear. _I can't stand this man._ We followed behind the hostess.

"Zafirah Hughes?" someone called.

We both stopped and I looked around for the source of my name. Someone stood up and I gasped. I turned back to Seungwoo. "Go ahead and sit down. I'll be right there."

"Okay," he nodded before kissing my head and following the hostess.

I turned back towards the person coming towards me and met them halfway for a hug. "Hangyul! How are you?"

"I should be asking you that," he said after pulling away and looking straight down at my stomach. "How many months?"

"Six," I told him happily.

He nodded and gave me a once over. "You look amazing, Zafirah, you're glowing."

"Pregnancy will do that to you," I sighed playfully. "I was not expecting to run into you. I just stopped by for some lunch with my boyfriend." _Boyfriend? I like that sound of that._ _My boyfriend, Han Seungwoo._

"I'm here for a business meeting about my newest client," he told me, pointing back towards his table. "Trying to get them marketed correctly to the right audience."

I looked at his table and I almost snorted. Because who other than Budgie was sitting at the table with her arms crossed and giving me the dirtiest of looks. And right next to her was the CEO. This had to have been a very important meeting if that man had left the goblin cave he called his office. I smirked and looked back at Hangyul.

Lee Hangyul and I went way back. We had been schoolmates since elementary, but we became friends when we went on a high school study abroad trip to Europe. I needed someone to take a picture of me, he was there, boom we're buddies for the rest of the trip.

"I didn't mean to interrupt," I told him apologetically, but inside I didn't give a fuck.

"I'm a little glad you did," he confessed. "I went to Mumford because I heard they were pretty good, but I'm far from impressed. This lady they sent doesn't know what she's talking about and is trying to focus my next drama's market on middle aged women. It's about high school romance."

I knew I was making a weird face and I did not care. Who in their right mind would market a high school romance to middle aged adults? That just sounds like setting yourself up for failure. But of course it would be Starling's idea.

"I heard you were in marketing too," he mentioned.

Now if this was any other form of competition, I would be a little more graceful and respectful. But seeing that it was Crow and her handler, I could not give less of a fuck.

"I sure am," I said, pulling out my business card for him. "With Hankang LLC., Han Seungwoo's firm."

"Han Seungwoo from high school?" he asked incredulously. I nodded proudly. "I thought your boyfriend looked familiar. You two finally got together." _Was everybody expecting us to get together? Were we that obvious?_

"Sure did. Now I don't want to get too in detail right now, but I'm thinking for your drama we visit a few high schools with your actors and maybe get some pictures of real high school couples, possibly get a few to write in about their high school love story or crush. This is just off the top of my head," I told him.

"I love it all," he told me. "I'll be in touch to set up a meeting so we can sign the contract and get this ball rolling. I'm so happy that we ran into each other."

"I am too," I said, hugging him one more time. There was a sharp kick to my side and I rolled my eyes. "Baby just told me that she needs food right now. I look forward to your call."

He nodded and we said our goodbyes. I gave one last smug look to Swallow and her keeper before going to sit down with Seungwoo.

"Who was that?" Seungwoo asked.

"Remember Lee Hangyul from high school?"

He nodded. "Isn't he a bigshot screenwriter and director now? I just finished his last drama."

"That was him. He was looking for a firm to market his new drama," I told him.

"Was?"

I smirked at my date. "Your amazing girlfriend just snatched up that contract from the claws of Mumford."

Seungwoo's mouth was slightly open and I reached over to close it for him. "I think it's my turn to congratulate you when we get home."

I pictured Seungwoo's face buried between my thighs and bit my lip. If this was going to be how we told each other, "Good Job!" then I needed to stay on top of my stuff. Because if he was as good as eating the cat as he was at kissing... he was about have me out here looking dazed and confused like he was.


	23. I Chose Her

_Land the biggest deal of my career? Check. Have a big up and coming name in the film industry come to your company for marketing? Check. End up with the girl of your dreams?_

"Seungwoo, we are in a place of business," Zafirah giggled as she playfully pushed at me. I kept my grip on her tight and looked down at her. Her lips were always just screaming at me to kiss them and who was I to deny that. "Didn't you get enough this morning?"

_Check._

Life was feeling pretty damn great. It was everything I had asked for and more since I was a freshman in high school.

"Mr. Han, I have a Kim Jisoo here to see you," my assistant Dongpyo said over the intercom. _Really? You had to come now?_

"Send her in," I told him. I turned back to Zafirah, but the mood had been ruined. _Dreams of secret office rendezvouses? Poof! Gone._ Zafirah sighed and pulled away. "I'm cutting things off. That's why she's here."

"Okay," she told me, but she didn't sound impressed. "I've got to get some work done. See you later." She turned around and opened the door, pausing again. "Nice to see you again, Jisoo."

"Hello Miss Hughes."

Zafirah moved around to reveal the small form of Kim Jisoo who smiled at me and I restrained the urge to groan. I could have been in here doing some very unprofessional things with my beautiful girlfriend ( _will never get tired of saying that_ ) if it wasn't for this chick. But we needed to have this talk asap.

"Hi Seungwoo," she said, stepping into the office. She moved forward as if to give me a hug and I side stepped her as smoothly as possible, instead going to close the door. "Oh, is it that kind of meeting? I hope your office is soundproof."

I turned around so quick, I almost gave myself whiplash. Jisoo had already begun unbuttoning her top and I was starting to see her lacy black bra. "What? No! Stop!" I yelled, startling her. She stared at me, not moving to button her blouse back up. "Jisoo, I called you here because we need to talk, not for a quickie." She still just stared at me. "Could you please?" I gestured to her top.

"Oh," she said and finally began to button up. "What did you want to talk about? Your mother already cleared up the misunderstanding about Miss Hughes." _Well this couldn't be good._

"What did she tell you?" I asked. I had a slight idea, but as I have recently learned, my mother could be a lot crueler than I thought.

"That you took her in off the streets after she found out she was pregnant and she's your childhood friend. I really shouldn't have assumed. Especially when your mother explained her predisposition to bring you into her problems instead of handling them on her own." And there it was. Of course Mom would say something like that about Zafirah.

But Zafirah never brought me into her problems. She handled everything on her own, had been since we became friends. I normally didn't get involved until after the fact, and even then, she didn't really want me to do anything. If anything, she was the one who got wrapped up in my problems on a regular basis.

I still remember when I beat the fuck out of Sunhwa's boyfriend who got caught with the prom queen. Zafirah stepped in when one of his friends tried to jump in, and beat the friend's ass.

Jisoo continued on. "I personally think it's admirable for you to look out for her like that. And we can always take things to my place as we continue this relationship."

"Jisoo, there is no relationship between us," I cut her off and she looked utterly confused at my statement. "You're a nice woman, but I'm not interested. Zafirah is my childhood friend, but she's also my girlfriend." Her face dropped once I said that. "At the time when we had our date and you stopped by my apartment, we weren't together. But I only agreed to the date because my mother forced me to. I'm sorry for leading you on."

She was silent for a few moments and I didn't say anything. Finally she spoke up. "I think it's for the best that I go. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I wish you and Miss Hughes the best of luck." She walked past me and out of my office.

I sighed and leaned against my desk. That had to have been the most awkward conversation I had ever had.

But not for long.

I pulled up to the pristine white house that I had grown up in. The cobblestone, rose bush lined pathway looked like it had come out of a home goods magazine. I buzzed the doorbell and waited for it to be opened.

A tall, Korean man with graying hair and glasses sternly looked down at me. "Quite a mess you've gotten yourself into this time."

"Hello Dad," I told him. "Is Mom home?"

"Come to apologize?" he asked, crossing his arms.

I internally scoffed but kept my face neutral. My dad would still smack the shit out of me no matter how old I was if he thought I was being disrespectful. I definitely didn't come here for that. "No, I need to talk to her."

My dad studied me, before moving aside. "She's in her office."

"Thanks," I said as I walked into the house. Nothing had changed since I had moved out. The white couch was still spotless, the hardwood floors were still shiny, and the piano still sat in the exact same spot in the living room used for entertaining guests. But I couldn't care less about that.

I made my way straight past the stairs, past the enormous kitchen, and to the glass doors off to the side. I knocked once to be polite, but I didn't wait for an invitation. My mom looked up at me from her computer and took off her glasses.

"Seungwoo? You never come home. Did you need something?" she asked me. I tossed the envelopes on her desk without a word. She looked down at them in shock before composing herself and looking up at me. "I see your little friend has yet to change her mind."

"Mom, what the hell? Why would you try to bribe Zafirah to leave me?" I asked.

She sighed condescendingly and I immediately knew this was not going to be good. "Having an unwed pregnant woman living in your home? Do you not understand how bad that looks, Seungwoo? On you? On our family?"

"Who cares? She's my best friend and she was kicked out on the street," I told her.

"A situation that she had gotten herself into. She's a grown woman who has to learn to deal with her own mistakes, not have you come in to save her every single time."

"Save h- Are you kidding me? She just found out she was pregnant and her boyfriend kicked her out. I was trying to help her out, not something she normally lets me do. And let's get something straight, our baby is not a mistake," I said.

She scoffed. " _Our_ baby? Seungwoo, that child is not yours. You are not the father and you will not parade around portraying yourself as otherwise. Need I remind you, Kim Jisoo is your future wife and this farce you have created with Zafirah ends now. I have let you play along and follow that girl for too long. I knew she was a bad influence on you and you have proven that. She is to move out of your apartment and cease contact with you, effective immediately."

I was seeing red at this point. I knew this conversation would not be easy, nothing with my mother ever did. She would always speak down to me and order me to do what she thought was best. It worked when I was child, but I'm an adult now. And I refused to be under her thumb any longer.

"I've broken things off with Jisoo. I'm not marrying her or any of the other girls you try to set me up with. Zafirah and I are together and even though the baby is not biologically mine, that is still my child. And one day I'm going to marry Zafirah. I told you before that I would always stay with her and I meant it. So you might as well disown me now because the world you're imagining where Zafirah and I aren't together does not exist and never will."

With that, I turned on my heel and walked away from my mother, not allowing the conversation to continue any further. This stops today and if I have to get disowned, then so be it.

"Please tell me that you did not just eat that entire tub of ice cream?" I asked when I saw Zafirah with the chocolate ice cream contained in her lap and a spoon in her hand.

"No," she said, smiling with her eyes closed. I sighed and shook my head. That was one of her tells when she was obviously lying. "Okay, but the baby really wanted it and who am I to say no when she keeps kicking me in the ribs?"

I moved the empty tub to the table and laid my head on her lap. "Stop blaming Baby Han for everything."

"Baby Han?" Zafirah repeated, looking down at me with her eyebrow raised. "You mean Baby Z? Last time I checked, you had no part in the making of her."

"So? That's still my baby in there who is going to have my last name," I told her and she snorted.

"Is that why you've been calling yourself Appa when you think I'm asleep?" she said, crossing her arms.

I smiled sheepishly. _Busted._ "I said we were in this together and now that the two of us are actually together, I thought we could take it a step further. I want to be her dad, if you'll let me."

She leaned down to press a kiss to my lips before running her fingers through my hair. "I would love that, Seungwoo."

I sat up and kissed her again. We sat there kissing languidly until Zafirah pulled away.

"So, where did you go?" she asked.

"I talked to my mom," I told her and she sat up. I explained everything, not leaving one detail out. She deserved to know what happened. It involved her and she had a right to know what all had been said. She had afforded me the same luxury before so it was only fair that I returned the favor.

Zafirah didn't say anything and I let her process all the information I had just told her.

"Seungwoo, I don't want you to have to choose between me and your family," she finally said. "That's not right and I know you wouldn't expect me to do the same. Maybe you should talk to her again."

I shook my head. "I'm not choosing between you and my family. For the first time in a long time, I'm choosing what makes me happy and what I want. And that's you. If my mother can't accept that, then oh well."

Zafirah looked at me fondly and kissed me one more time. "If it's what you want then I'm with you."

There was nothing I would want more than to be with Zafirah and live happily with her. Even though the talk with my mom was hard, I left feeling like I didn't have the weight of the world on my shoulders. I felt a lot lighter and a lot better than I had in years.


	24. Lemon, Vinegar, and Baking Soda

"Subin, send me the file of the baby shower guest list," I called from my office. I couldn't believe that it was already time for the baby shower. It felt like just yesterday I found out I was pregnant and now I was about a month and a half from popping this sucker out. There was going to be a newborn baby girl coming out of me in a month and a half. _Bitch._

Quanetta, ever the party planner, had been working with me, Seungwoo, and my siblings to plan my baby shower. It was going to be this cute snow themed party because it's getting cold as fuck outside and there is going to be snow on the ground when this child is born.

"Do you have an appointment?" I heard Subin asked.

"I'm just here to see an old friend."

Either hell had frozen over or security is majorly slacking because who let this bitch up here?

"If you don't have an appointment, please leave," Subin said monotone. "Miss Hughes is a very busy woman and does not have time for pop ins." I need to get Subin a cookie bouquet or something because he really comes through when I need him to. That man stays letting people in my office when they don't have appointments unless he knows that I do not fuck with them.

And this bitch was at the very top of my "Do NOT Fuck With" list right alongside my BD (baby daddy).

But I was feeling particularly nice today. "It's okay Subin, she can come in!" I called. The cloying scent of vanilla preceded her very clockable bottom shelf wig and last season's Prada bag. She probably used it to cover up the smell of bird seed.

"ZZ!" Chickadee said with fake enthusiasm. "Hello darling! Long time no see!"

I didn't even attempt to plaster on the fake smile. I crossed my arms and sat up in my chair, my very pregnant stomach becoming obvious. Her eyes went straight to it.

"How is pregnancy treating you? You've gotten so big!" she exclaimed. "I thought first time mothers weren't supposed to gain so much weight."

The bitch knew she was bullshitting because I was still small as hell. "To what do I owe this displeasure of seeing you, Wren?"

She sighed and sat in the chair opposite of my desk. I would need to make a note to Subin to have the chair disinfected after she left. The last thing I would want was for one of my clients to catch the bird flu. "Just wanted to catch up with you. This is a nice office by the way. Beautiful view." I rolled my eyes at her empty compliments. "How is life treating you here? I was surprised to hear that you were working here when you're expecting. Isn't it a risk to hire a pregnant woman when you can hire someone who can actually commit to the job?"

Seungsik took that time to stop by. "Sorry if I'm interrupting, but I just have to congratulate you Zafirah. Our numbers are the highest they have ever been thanks to you. You've landed multiple huge contracts and you've finally whipped my partner into shape. You are a blessing. We'll be eagerly waiting for your return after your maternity leave."

"Thank you so much," I told him. "I would promise not to stay away for too long, but I know you'll have my head if I don't take the full 3 months. But I am just a phone call away. And who knows? I might pop in sometimes to show off the baby."

"She's already going to have a spot in Uncle Seungsik's office," he said, breaking his professional composure for a second before regaining it. "That was all I had to say. Carry on."

"This company has such a great culture to it," I told Kingfisher. "Everyone is so nice and they're all excited for the baby. It's like one big family here."

Clearly that was not what she wanted to hear based on her pursed lips. "How nice. What about company outings? I mean, it must be hard to go in your condition and those are so important in establishing bonds. Is it lonely to be an expecting mother amongst all these people in the prime of their life?"

At that moment, there was a knock on my door and Byungchan popped into my office. I could see Wren's mouth drop slightly when she laid eyes on him. "Sorry to interrupt. Zafirah, I just got tickets to It: Part 2. Are you in?"

"Hell yeah!" I told him. We had been planning to go to that movie since we became friends. "If I get scared into an early labor though, you're taking me to the hospital."

"And we're naming her Penny!" he said excitedly.

"No we are not naming my child after a deranged alien that eats kids!" I told him, but he had already left.

"Her name will be Penny!" he called from the office.

"No it won't!" I yelled after him. I chuckled to myself before turning to Woodpecker who looked a little confused, but not too happy about the encounter she just witnessed. "Best friends, am I right?"

She cleared her throat and tried to compose herself. "Of course, it's always nice to have friends to provide some companionship. Especially when you're a single mother. How is Devante by the way? I haven't spoken to him since the breakup."

"You mean since you broke up with him when you couldn't use him to get back at me anymore," I corrected for her. Let's call a spade a spade. This bitch only dated him to try and ruin my life. "I don't know. We don't speak."

I was so serious when I said I blocked that fool. He had proven that he didn't actually want a part of our daughter's life and I certainly didn't want him in mine. So the best course of action was for us to part ways and never the two shall meet again.

She smirked. "That's so sad. I honestly would have never entertained him if I had known the two of you were still together." _Bullshit._ "I feel like this is partially my fault. And it can be so hard to go through what you're going through without the support of a partner."

There was another knock and Seungwoo stepped into my door with a bouquet of flowers and a box of chocolates. His beautiful smile turned to a sneer when he saw Cardinal sitting down, but it turned back up when his eyes went to me.

"Yes?" I asked.

"Just a few gifts to show you that I'm in love with you and appreciate you for being in my life," he said walking over and handing me the little gifts before pecking me on the lips. "And I'm making your favorite for dinner tonight."

I pecked him one more time. "You are the most amazing man."

"Anything for my two ladies," he told me, giving me one final peck before disappearing out of my office.

I put the gifts on my desk, making note to have Subin get a vase for the flowers. "It really is, but I was fortunate enough to have him in my life. And this pregnancy has really brought the two of us closer than ever. Honestly, this is all because of you."

"How so?" she asked, surprised.

"If you hadn't had been as sneaky and conniving as you were, so hellbent on making my life miserable, I would actually be miserable. If you hadn't slept with my slutty boyfriend, I would have stayed at that shitty company and would have never admitted my feelings for the love of my life. I wouldn't have had any of this, the office, my friends, Seungwoo. I am literally living my best life thanks to you," I told her. And I was being truthful. Her affair with Devante was like the butterfly wings to the tsunami that completely turned my life around.

Her face morphed and she began to snarl silently. I kept going though because I was finally going to rid myself of this bird once and for all. "And in your goal to fuck me over, you fucked yourself over. All of Mumford's biggest clients have followed me to Hankang because you're horrible and the company blames you.

"I know why you're actually here Heron and it isn't to check up on me. Your job is at risk and you hoped I was low enough that I would crawl back to Mumford with my tail between my legs so your ass would be taken off the chopping block. Too bad for you, I'm thriving. Now I have actual work to do. You're excused."

She growled and snatched up her Prada purse before storming out of my office and hopefully my life.

The delicious scent of home cooked food wafted from the kitchen of my childhood home. Mama really did like to do it up for our family dinners. As soon as Seungwoo and I stepped into the door and took our coats off, Zahir snatched my boyfriend up to hang out in the den.

I rolled my eyes and just waddled my way into the kitchen. "Hey everybody," I called.

"Hey Zafirah," they called back.

"Here baby," my auntie said, leading me to a chair.

"Thank you," I told her, settling in. As much as I like standing around and talking shit with the girls, I couldn't stand for that long with this extra weight on my torso. I got out of breath from just adjusting in my chair. "Smells good in here."

"Got to make sure my next grandbaby is eating some good food," my mother said. "How you been doing?"

Everyone turned to me, waiting for my answer. _Damn, can't a bitch be quietly pregnant around here?_ "My feet are swollen and my boobs are too sore. A light breeze could go by and I'm whining."

"I was like that too," Zabrina said. "I swear my titties could sense one degree drop and immediately started aching. It was horrible."

"How did you deal with it?"

"Had Jacob massage my chest," she said bluntly. "You put this baby in me, you about to do all the hard work." _I know what Seungwoo is doing when we get home._

"It's not like she has anyone to do that for her. Might as well just massage them yourself, sis," Zenobia said and I glared at her. She just had to be trifling. First thing out her mouth and it's something trifling. I was about to disown her ass as a sister.

"Maybe Seungwoo could do it for her," Jasmine teased and the rest of them laughed while I rolled my eyes. "That would be a good way to make up for your fight. Just ask him to rub on your titties."

"All of you are fake," I told them, crossing my arms.

"Don't be like that," Monique said. "How are you and Seungwoo? Did you two make up?"

I nodded. _Oh we definitely made up alright._ "We're really good. We had a long conversation."

Mama hummed as she stirred the gravy. "Good. Don't be scaring off my future son in law now. Ain't no one going to be as good as that man. Even if his mama is crazy."

My mother was not one to mince words. If she didn't like someone, she made it very well known. And she did not like Mrs. Han. Mostly it was because Mrs. Han always had a problem with me and Mama did not play when it came to her babies. She also said it was because Mama Han needed to get off her high horse. I agreed with her. I mean, who throws money at a person to bribe them to stay away from their son? What kind of k-drama was that lady living in?

"What did she do this time? Raise her nose a little too high?" Zenobia chuckled.

"She tried to bribe me to move out of the apartment and stay away from Seungwoo," I told them and the atmosphere immediately changed. Their faces were a range of anger, shock, and disbelief. "Called me and my baby a mistake and said that we were ruining Seungwoo's chances to marry a good Korean girl."

"Who? The bitch who showed up at your door in nothing but her panties and a flimsy ass coat?" Zabrina spat.

"Language," Mama warned.

"Uh uh, Mama. This is fucked up on a whole other level. She threw money at my sister like she was a two bit hoe and then had the audacity to call her and my niece a mistake," Zabrina snapped. "I'm getting my shoes because I'm pulling up on her." Zenobia, Jasmine, and Monique also started making their way to get their shoes with Zabrina.

"Calm down," I told the four of them. "I'm over it and Seungwoo talked to his mother about it. No one is pulling up today."

"Seungwoo talked to her?"

I nodded. "And she's going to leave us alone if she knows what's good for her. Unless she wants to lose her only son."

"Damn, Seungwoo actually stood up to his mom for you," Jasmine said. "That's real love right there. Girl, you need to hurry up and get him before someone else does."

 _Already did._ I loved the fact that all of them were getting ready to pull up on Mrs. Han without another thought. Quanetta probably would have been called and picked up along the way too. How none of us had been arrested yet was beyond me because we were a danger to society.

"Alright y'all, go set the table," Mama said. "Done lost your minds talking about rolling up in that rich person neighborhood. Zafirah, go tell the boys dinner is ready."

Auntie Estelle helped me up out of my chair and I waddled my way to the den that didn't smell as strongly of old spice. Ever since Daddy found out that it made me throw up, he calmed down on the old spice.

"Time for dinner," I told them.

"Hey Zafirah," they said as they all got up and passed by me. Daddy pressed a kiss to my head as he walked by. Seungwoo was the last one out and pressed a kiss to my cheek as he put his hand on the small of my back.

"What were you guys talking about today?" I asked, eyebrow raised.

"Sports and work," he said and I pursed my lips. He chuckled and started walking me to the dining room. "And how beautiful you look pregnant."

"That's more like it," I said.

He helped me sit down at the table before taking the seat next to me. It was a relatively normal dinner, just talking about what we all were doing, how life was going, who watched the last episode of Power. It was the family dinner how it was supposed to be.

"Zafirah, a little bird told me that you hooked up my Monique with 3 boys," Auntie Estelle said.

I nodded proudly. "A doctor, a lawyer, and an assistant but he makes good money and he's cute. I'm a matchmaker."

"A good one too," Zenobia said. "Where were you when I was single and lonely?" Aaron gave her a dirty look and she rolled her eyes. "Before I met you, baby."

"How about you focus that matchmaking energy on yourself?" Zabrina said, smirking and looking at Seungwoo who was really invested in eating. _I'm going to bring this up whenever he makes me go vegetarian._ The others all had a good laugh.

I took a deep breath. Maybe it was my pregnancy hormones or maybe I was just fed up with years of the jokes. I put my fork down and turned to Seungwoo. "Seungwoo?" He looked down at me and smiled. I reached up and pulled his head down to kiss him. I heard the room get deathly quiet and Mama gasped. "I love you," I told him.

"Love you too, Babe," he said innocently.

I turned back to Zabrina and looked her dead in the eyes. She looked like she was in shock by what just happened. Honestly, everybody did. "Seungwoo and I are already together."

And because I know how trifling these negroes are...3...2...1...

It went from quiet enough to hear a pin drop to our team winning the superbowl. There was yelling, there was cheering, Zenobia was doing a praise dance because she really has no sense. Daddy patted Seungwoo on the back and Mama hugged him tightly.

"Finally!"

"About time!"

"Took y'all long enough!"

Mama calmed everyone down and raised her wine glass. The rest of my family all followed suit and I immediately knew where this was going seeing as how she did it when they found out Devante broke up with me.

"To Zafirah and Seungwoo, it's about damn time!" she cheered. Everyone clinked their glasses and drank while I rolled my eyes.

Seungwoo grabbed my hand and I looked at him. He was smiling and I felt a smile form on my face too. I will admit that it did feel good to say that out and tell my family. They had been rooting for us for the longest.

Zabrina waited for it to die down before she went back to her messy ways. She looked at Seungwoo. "So Seungwoo, you cracked Zafirah's back yet?" Seungwoo turned bright red and Jacob just shook his head at his wife.

But two could play at those games. "Daddy, I heard you had a mysterious stain on your mattress?" Zahir and Zenobia gasped and tried to hold their mouths to keep from laughing, about to fall out of their chairs. Jacob almost turned paper white and Zabrina narrowed her eyes at me.

"Yeah, why?" Daddy asked.

Zabrina and I stared each other down in a battle of wills, testing the other to see who would crack first. I refused to back down. She may have been the oldest, but I was the most stubborn.

And that stubbornness held out in the end.

"Back rubs are really nice when you're pregnant since you carry all that weight in the front," she acquiesced, albeit not happily.

"Have you tried lemon, vinegar, and baking soda to get rid of it?" I asked Daddy, smirking at my sister. _Not today bitch._ "Spray it a few times and give it a good scrub. That should get the stain out." Jacob and Seungwoo visibly relaxed.

"I'll try it," Daddy said, none the wiser.


	25. Walking in a Winter Wonderland

"Do I really have to?" Seungwoo asked.

Zafirah crossed her arms and pursed her lips. "You lost the bet so yes you have to." Seungwoo pouted, but she continued to purse her lips at her boyfriend. "Now sit your ass in that chair."

He groaned, but relented, flopping into the chair. A black cape was draped over his shoulders and he sighed. "Can I at least see what you're going to do to me?"

"Nope," Zafirah said, taking her phone out and showing it to the stylist. She raised her eyebrows, but her lips lifted up in approval. "Please make sure he can see because he's a safety hazard at this point."

The stylist nodded before turning to Seungwoo. She agreed wholeheartedly with the pregnant woman. She couldn't even see the man's eyes, his bangs were so long. "Don't you want your baby to see your eyes?"

"If I just push it to the side then she can see," Seungwoo tried, but Zafirah was not having it.

"She's going to think her father is Cousin It," Zafirah said before turning to the stylist. "Do what you need to and don't listen to him."

Seungwoo groaned, but he knew that there was no way he could get out of it. He had lost their bet fair and square and Zafirah was always sure to collect her wins. So he was sitting in a hair salon, about to say goodbye to his hair. And he didn't even know what all she was having them do.

He should have bet on the private jet.

With the baby shower rapidly approaching, Quanetta had fully jumped into party planning mode. And with her taste for extravagance, the two decided to make a little bet amongst themselves for some fun. Seungwoo said that she would want to rent out a hotel (the whole building) and use that for the baby shower. Zafirah bet that she would want to get a private jet and fly them to Hawaii for the shower.

Of course they were both right, but Quanetta suggested the private jet first.

A few hours and a lot less hair later, Zafirah was looking at Seungwoo in a whole new light. Her man was fine before, but with this new look... Shit, she might end up pregnant again and she hadn't even dropped the first one. He was just looking absolutely delicious.

**(A/N: Seungwoo's new look is based off Time of Sorrow era Seungwoo. If you have not already seen the video, I highly recommend.)**

"How do I look?" Zafirah asked, walking down the stairs. Seungwoo looked up from his phone and had to bite his lip from smiling too hard.

It was the day of the baby shower and Zafirah had been upstairs for almost 4 hours trying to figure out what to wear, doing her makeup, and fixing her hair. It was 4 hours well spent because she looked even more radiant than she did normally. Just looking at her had Seungwoo's heart beating extra fast this time.

"Beautiful," he told her, getting up and putting his hands on her waist as he looked down at her. "Ready to go?"

She nodded. Seungwoo pulled away and they linked hands, fingers locking together as they walked out of the apartment. They stood in a comfortable silence in the elevator until it dinged at their floor. Suddenly, Seungwoo put his hands over Zafirah's eyes.

"Seungwoo, what are you doing?" Zafirah asked.

"It's a surprise," he told her. "Just trust me."

Zafirah sighed but relented and allowed Seungwoo to guide her blindly to the car. She had no idea what Seungwoo had planned for her, expecting just a normal commute to the baby shower. Finally, they stopped and Seungwoo moved his hands.

It took a second for Zafirah's eyes to adjust before she realized she was standing in front of a car that was not Seungwoo's BMW. She turned to look at an extra smiley Seungwoo in confusion, arms crossed. "Nigga, did you hit your head? Where is the car?"

"Right in front of you," he told her excitedly. It still wasn't clicking for Zafirah though and she just continued to look at him like he had lost his mind. He chuckled slightly and brought out a brand new set of keys. "Actually, it's your car."

Zafirah's face went from confused to dumbfounded to shocked, eyes widening comically and mouth open. She looked at the brand new black Mercedes-Benz before turning back to Seungwoo. He nodded and Zafirah started screaming and jumping before throwing her arms around him.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" she shrieked happily. "You bought me a car! Oh my god!" After a good minute of her freaking out, Zafirah finally calmed down. "Seungwoo, this is too much."

Seungwoo refused to take no as an answer or allow her to decline it. His girlfriend may have not said anything about it, but he knew her and he knew that she did not like having to rely on other people for transportation. Zafirah was naturally an independent person and having to depend on others was not her specialty. So, he took it upon himself to help her out a little bit.

"Babe, I'm rich. This is the farthest from being too much," Seungwoo told her. "Just take the keys. Don't you want to test her out?"

Something inside Zafirah was saying that she shouldn't, but an even bigger something wanted her to grab them keys. So she reached up to lay a big kiss on Seungwoo, taking a long moment to savor it.

Seungwoo grabbed at her waist, pulling her closer to him and deepening the kiss. Zafirah sighed as his tongue swiped at her bottom lip. Fire started to lick at her insides and she was so close to succumbing to the heat and pleasure. But logic won out and she broke apart their kiss. Seungwoo's eyes were half-lidded, drunk on the pleasure.

"We can continue this after the baby shower," she told him, grabbing the keys hanging limply from his fingers.

Being that Zafirah wanted to avoid jail any time possible, she was a much safer driver than Seungwoo. So they got to the event hall at a reasonable time instead of record breaking and no red lights were run. The fact that her new car also drove like a dream helped a little bit too.

Walking into the event hall, Zafirah was in awe. Her family, Quanetta, Subin, and Byungchan had outdid themselves with the decorations. It really looked like a winter wonderland, complete with fake snow, icicles, and twinkling lights. They even had those fake white pine trees around the party. The space looked better than Zafirah could have ever imagined.

"What do you think?" Quanetta asked.

Zafirah rushed over to hug her best friend. "It's amazing."

Not long after Zafirah and Seungwoo arrived, the other guests began to flow in. It was a mix of people that Zafirah had grown close to throughout her life from client to family, they were all there. Even Seungwoo's sisters and father came as well despite the current situation between him and his mother. To put it simply, the party was full of love and positivity.

"So she kicks whenever he talks to her?" Quanetta asked.

Zafirah nodded, hand laying on her stomach. "Doesn't react to shit from me, but as soon as he comes in, girl is a soccer star."

"Just like her daddy," Monique giggled and Zafirah playfully rolled her eyes. But her cousin wasn't really wrong. You would think with the child's kicking power, Seungwoo really was her daddy and passed on his soccer skills.

"She's going to be a daddy's girl," Quanetta told them. "Prepare yourself because she's gonna be all daddy, all the time."

"What're you girls talking about?" Zabrina asked, coming over.

"The baby is already a daddy's girl," Monique filled her in.

Zabrina snorted. "Of course she will be with Seungwoo spoiling her every second of the day. Speaking of your new baby daddy, you never answered my question." Zafirah knew exactly where this was going. "Has he cracked that back yet?"

And there it was.

"He does give a pretty good massage," Zafirah said coyly, making Zabrina push her shoulder. "No, we have not had sex. Bitch, I'm too tired for that right now. All I can think about is having my baby and sleeping for 48 hours straight."

The girls gave here a look of disbelief. "What do you mean? If Seungwoo was my man, I would have sealed that deal the second it became official," Quanetta said. "Do you not see that fine ass man?"

"Especially with his new haircut," Monique said. "Your man's looking quite snackish."

"Yes, MY man," Zafirah said, making sure to emphasize the **my** part. She wasn't normally jealous, but her pregnancy hormones had her thoughts and emotions completely different than what she was used to. So she was a little sensitive when it came to Han Seungwoo and any other person looking at him as anything other than a friend.

Monique just rolled her eyes. "Bitch, no one is trying to come for your man. I've got mines."

"Do tell, dear cousin," Zenobia took that time to insert herself into the conversation. "What is going on with your now exciting and plentiful love life? Your dates are quite good looking. Any of them smashed your cupcakes yet?"

That was right. _Dates._ As in plural, multiple, more than one. Byungchan, Subin, and Sejun were all at the baby shower, each occupying Monique's time and space for most of the time. When Aunt Estelle saw that, she almost had a heart attack. Her daughter had gone from no one to three men all at once.

"How is that any of your business?" Monique asked, making all of her cousins look at her with pursed lips and crossed arms.

They honestly could not deny each other because they looked exactly alike in that moment.

"Because you have heard all of our hoe stories since the beginning. I told you when I fucked Keith in the locker room showers after a game," Zenobia said.

"And when I had a threesome with two strangers I met at the club," Zabrina added.

"And when I skipped class to suck Tommy off in his car," Zafirah finished.

Quanetta looked at the Hughes sisters in shock. She may have been friends with Zafirah for awhile, but she had no idea that all three of them got down like that. Hoe game was on a level 1000 and she was mentally applauding them. "Damn, all of you are hoes," she said and they all nodded proudly. Shit, she would be proud too if she had stories like that. The woman would definitely be asking Zabrina later about that threesome story.

The three of them were right though. It was only fair that Monique spill the beans about what she was doing when she always wanted to know what they had been doing. She rolled her eyes. "I fucked all of them and I fucked Byungchan and Subin at the same time."

Jaws dropped and gasps were heard at the confession. Zafirah's hand was covering her mouth at the new information. She had never expected her cute little assistant to be a closet freak.

"Being a hoe runs in your family," Quanetta pointed out.

"Sure does," Zabrina said making them all laugh. It was a good moment that they all were enjoying, spirits high.

Until Zenobia gasped. They looked to the youngest sister, but she was staring at the entrance of the hall. Turning their heads, they could understand why she had gasped. Zafirah felt her blood boil at what she was looking at.

Mrs. Han had come to the baby shower with a plus one, Kim Jisoo.

"What is she doing here?" Quanetta asked. "She was not on the guest list and neither was Miss Trenchcoat."

"I invited Mrs. Han as a show of good faith, but I should have known she would pull some shit like this," Zafirah growled. She was angry. This woman had basically said Zafirah was low class trash, but then she pulled something like this. The mother to be had a right mind to go over there and curse this lady out for the pure disrespect.

But a hard kick in her stomach cleared her mind. The baby obviously felt the negative emotions and hostility and was not feeling it today. Zafirah had to agree too. She was not going to be made to look like a crazy fool at her own damn baby shower.

So she stood up straight, put her shoulders up, and held her head high before walking over to the new guest.

"Hello Mrs. Han, welcome to the shower," she greeted with an award-winning customer service smile. She nodded to Jisoo. "Welcome Jisoo, I didn't know that you were coming."

Jisoo at least had the decency to look uncomfortable. "Hello Zafirah, I wasn't aware myself that I would be attending. I brought a gift though." She lifted a cute pink gift bag. Zafirah took it from the girl's slender fingers and looked inside. She pulled out a little onesie that had _Mommy's Princess_ on it.

"Thank you," Zafirah said sincerely. She felt a hand on the small of her back and looked to see Seungwoo standing next to her. He was smiling, but it was a lot more fake than Zafirah's. The irritation was rolling off him in waves.

He looked straight at his mother, not even sparing Jisoo a glance. "Zafirah, I need to talk to my mother." She nodded. What he really meant was 'Beat feet. I'm about to go off."

Zafirah looked at Jisoo, deciding to help the poor thing get away from the awkward situation. "Jisoo, why don't I introduce you to some people?"

Jisoo nodded and the two ladies exited as gracefully as possible. They moved in awkward silence, neither really knowing what to say. Finally, Jisoo was the one to speak up first.

"Zafirah, I apologize for this. I don't normally show up to parties that I'm not invited to. Mrs. Han said it was a luncheon and I'm just really sorry," Jisoo apologized.

"I've known Mrs. Han for the better part of 14 years now," Zafirah told the woman. "I'm not new to her antics and I don't blame you. You didn't know, it happens."

"Also, for showing up to your home in that state. It was completely uncalled for," she said.

Zafirah waved her off. "Seungwoo is a great guy. And I've done many a crazy thing for dick. I don't blame you for trying. Stop beating yourself up about it. I'm not mad, Seungwoo's not mad, and you gave me a pretty funny story to tell." Jisoo cracked a slight smile. "Now, I know how awkward it is to be a party where you don't know anyone so let me introduce you to a few people."

Though Zafirah was not happy at first with this Jisoo woman, she couldn't really find fault with her. The woman was just trying to find love and ended up being a pawn in Mrs. Han's scheme. She was innocent in this situation.

Now Mrs. Han, she was definitely pissed about. Just like Seungwoo.

Seungwoo had seen his mother walk in at the same time Zafirah did, but his girlfriend was faster in greeting them. Seeing his mother look at her in disdain was enough to have him grinding his teeth though. He took that as a sign that he needed to step in.

"What are you doing here?" he asked once Zafirah had taken Jisoo out of earshot.

"Your little friend invited me," she told him, taking off her sunglasses.

Seungwoo sighed. "Then why did you bring Jisoo?"

"To remind you of who you are and what I expect," she said. "Honestly, playing house with her and pretending to be a father. And what did you do to your hair?" She reached up, but Seungwoo moved out of the way. "I bet it was her idea."

Seungwoo had finally had enough and it hadn't even been a full minute yet. "Yes, it was her idea and I like it. I also like living with my girlfriend and getting ready to be a dad. I don't care if the baby isn't biologically mine, she is my daughter. And one day, I'm gonna marry her mom whether you like it or not. So, if your only reason for being here is to humiliate Zafirah, you can leave. I didn't even want you here."

He turned around and walked away from his stunned mother, deciding to exit the conversation before he fully made a scene. He went straight to his girlfriend who was snacking on fruit at the snack table.

She pressed a grape to his lips before he could even say anything. "Eat that before you say something stupid." He complied and reached down to give her a quick kiss. "Now say what you got to say."

Seungwoo was about to go off about his mother, but eating the grape actually made him cool down. Smart move on Zafirah's part. "I'm sorry about that. I know you were just trying to be nice. I could ask Jisoo to leave."

"Leave that woman alone, she's innocent in all this," Zafirah said. Seungwoo snorted. Jisoo was far from innocent if he had anything to say about it. "She's already apologized for the whole thing plus can you think about how awkward she must feel right now, being at the baby shower of the man you thought you were going to be in a serious relationship with. Cut her some slack."

Jisoo was currently talking to Seungyoun and Nate, looking less uncomfortable than when she came in.

Seungwoo looked down at Zafirah who was surprisingly calm in this situation. "How do you feel about it?"

She sighed and put her hands on her stomach. "I was mad at first and was fully planning to give your mother and that woman a piece of my mind. But then Baby Z kicked me and made me realize I needed to relax."

His eyes widened at her statement. This was the same Zafirah who kicked a dude in the balls for just looking at her crazy. She was never calm and relaxed when stuff like this happened. He leaned down to be eye level with her stomach. "Are you trying to keep Mommy out of trouble?"

Zafirah winced slightly and Seungwoo smiled knowing what that meant.

"I want to know why she only kicks when you talk to her or when I'm about to make a bad decision," she told him.

"Baby Han is going to be just like her daddy," he teased, making her roll her eyes.

"Baby Han?" They turned around to see Zenobia and Seungsik smirking at them. "I thought the baby was Devante's," Zenobia continued.

"Biologically," Zafirah snorted. "Seungwoo has been calling Baby Z that since we still don't have a name picked out."

"You still don't have a name?" Wooseok asked, joining their conversation with Zahir. "Isn't that one of the first things you should pick out?"

"I'm indecisive, what can I say?" Zafirah threw her hands up, making everyone chuckle.

Mrs. Han watched the little group joke, her son putting his arm around Zafirah as if it was the most natural thing in the world. He looked at her fondly, his attention focused solely on her. Though she loathed to admit it, he had never seen Seungwoo look at any other woman the way he looked at that one. And it was the same look he had had since he met her as a child.

A look of deep love and admiration.


	26. It's Time

Seungwoo watched Zafirah move around the nursery, putting her last finishing touches on the room. They had spent the entire weekend painting, putting together furniture, and decorating what used to be Zafirah's bedroom. Now that she had moved into Seungwoo's room, it was the perfect place for the baby's room.

They had contemplated just putting her crib in their room but decided they would set her up in the nursery and have baby monitors. And now the entire room was finished with yellow walls and animal stickers plastered around.

Now that the room was finally finished, Seungwoo's attention had been pulled to his beautiful girlfriend. With her hair pulled up into a frizzy puff and her smooth legs being show by her shorts, she was doing some things to him. And he was ready to start doing some things to her too.

Seungwoo walked up behind Zafirah and put his arms around her, stopping her from arranging the blankets. "What are you doing?" Zafirah asked.

"I was admiring you," he said innocently before placing a kiss on her neck. "And then I remembered that I can touch you now." He placed another kiss on her exposed shoulder.

"Like you couldn't touch me before," she told him sarcastically.

He hummed. "But now I can do this." Seungwoo maneuvered his body so that his hardening dick was pulsing against her ass. Zafirah's eyes widened at the sensation. "And I can touch this." One of his hands went up to cup and massage her breast, making her gasp. "And I can touch a lot more."

"Seungwoo," she gasped. "We are not doing this in the nursery."

The man responded by swiftly picking Zafirah up and carrying her into their own bedroom. "What about in here?" he asked, putting her on the bed and crawling over her. He leaned down to capture her lips, savoring every bit of them.

Zafirah's hands went up to Seungwoo's hair, threading her fingers through it and grabbing. Her fingers tugged at the strands as Seungwoo's tongue explored every inch of her mouth. That heat that she was very familiar with started to build up inside.

He pulled away and looked down at Zafirah, her expression completely blissed out. She looked up at him with heavy lidded eyes and his only thought was completely defiling her in every way possible. Reaching under her sweater, he slipped it over her head and stared down at her bare chest.

Zafirah had always had a chest that he admired secretly but seeing it for himself...it was even more beautiful than he had expected. He had been waiting for this moment his entire life.

"Seungwoo," she groaned, shifting under him. "Get up, I gotta pee."

And this was how the moment ended.

He moved away from her and she quickly got up, waddling into the bathroom. Even though her bladder had just ruined the moment, Seungwoo was not planning to lose his momentum. Tonight was going to be the night he finally "cracked Zafirah's back" as her siblings kept saying. And nothing was going to stop it from happening.

"Seungwoo!" Zafirah screamed from the bathroom.

Seungwoo was running into the bathroom before he could even register what she could possibly be screaming about. "What!? What happened!?" Zafirah was standing in the bathroom with a giant stain on her pants and a puddle at her feet. "Did you pee yourself?"

"My water broke dammit!" she yelled. "I'm in labor!"

Well there goes the night.

Zafirah leaned on Seungwoo as she rocked her hips through the contractions, breathing deeply. Seungwoo swayed with her, keeping time. It was about 10 minutes between contractions and Sejun said when it drops to 5 minutes, bring her in.

The mother to be suddenly started snickering. Seungwoo looked down at her in confusion. It was a pretty weird time to be laughing considering the baby was getting ready to greet the world. "What are you laughing about?"

"You thought you were going to get laid tonight and Baby Z cockblocked you," she giggled, making him sigh.

"Waited 14 years for this and she couldn't wait one more night," he whined, making Zafirah giggle even more. "I was so close." Zafirah sighed and leaned her head against his chest. If it wasn't for the current situation, it might have been romantic. The two of them swaying in the living room on a beautiful night.

Zafirah grunted and the reality of it all came out. They were hours away from meeting their baby girl.

Seungwoo couldn't help but feel bad for his girlfriend so he tried to keep her mind off of the pain by talking. They talked about anything and everything from whether Halle Berry's Catwoman was as bad as critics said it was to who would win in a fight, Mulan or Black Widow. And as they were providing evidence as to why one could kick the other's ass, the time between Zafirah's contractions got smaller and smaller.

Until Seungwoo was driving them to the hospital.

"Remember when we first met?" Zafirah asked.

"Yes," Seungwoo said, not knowing where this was about to go.

"Did you ever think that years down the road you would be driving the girl you hit upside the head with a soccer ball to the hospital to give birth?" she chuckled, and Seungwoo smiled.

He definitely did not expect this would happen the day the two of them had formally met. But to be fair, this was a crazy situation even for them.

"No, but I remember thinking I had completely messed up my chances with the girl I had a massive crush on," he revealed to her.

Zafirah looked at him in surprise. "You had a crush on me?" Seungwoo nodded. "I thought you didn't even know me. Was that soccer ball to the head on purpose?"

"No that was an accident, but it ended up being a happy accident. If not, I would have never gotten the courage to talk to you and this definitely would not be happening."

"Still not happy about getting a soccer ball to the head though," Zafirah told him.

"How are you feeling, Zafirah?" Sejun asked. He looked completely different in his scrubs and hair cap.

"I'm ready for her to come out," Zafirah said, head back on the pillow. The contractions had gotten even stronger and closer together, and all Zafirah had been thinking and asking about was a goddamn epidural. She wanted the juice and that was that, fuck a natural birth. "Can I get the epidural now?"

Sejun examined her for a few seconds before lifting his head up and turning to the nurse. "Page the anesthesiologist, she's 6 centimeters dilated."

"Praise the fucking lord," Zafirah sighed in relief. There was nothing she wanted more than to get the damn needle in her back in that very moment to help with this pain. In her head, she was cursing everybody who judged her for deciding to give birth in a hospital, with an epidural. They could take their pools and baths and shove it up their asses because they weren't the ones going through this shit right now.

Everything was hurting, her uterus, her back, her hips, her legs, everything. It was like nothing those damn birth classes had prepared her for. She was ready for cramping like her period, but that shit burned. It was like someone had taken a poker from an active fireplace and stabbed her right in the lady parts.

Seungwoo took that time to come in with a cup. He handed it to her, and she sighed seeing the ice chips in it. The cold chips were exactly what she needed. It was literally a blast of cold relief to her body which was reaching the temperatures of hell.

"This shit sucks," she told him, halfway through her chew. "Who said having kids was good?"

He reached down and pressed a kiss to her forehead, making her smile. "People who like kids or parents who want everybody else to be miserable." Zafirah chuckled. "If there's anyone who can do this, it's you."

"Thanks babe."

"Just one more push," Sejun told her. "Come on Zafirah, you can do it."

Zafirah bared down, squeezing Seungwoo's hand even harder than she already was. All she could think about was the pain and the pressure. Nothing else could cut through the fog they had put on her mind. She was tired and hot, her legs cramping from being held up. She wanted it to be over already.

But she wouldn't give up. It wasn't in her to give up. She was too stubborn to give up. So she kept pushing.

Seungwoo burst out of the room, startling everybody waiting in the hallway. As soon as Zafirah had gone into labor, he had contacted everyone. Right now, Zafirah's parents, Zenobia, Aaron, Jasmine, Zahir, and Nate were all sitting in the hall and waiting on the birth. It had been deadly silent until Seungwoo.

"How's my baby doing?" Marie asked, leaping up at the sight of her future son in law.

Seungwoo looked at her with wide eyes, clearly still shaken up. He gulped before saying, "I'm a father."

After everyone had left, Seungwoo sat in bed with Zafirah as their new baby girl suckled on her breast. She had beautiful brown skin and heart shaped lips like her mom, a head full of hair, and a cute button nose.

"She's gorgeous," Seungwoo said, arms around Zafirah and their baby protectively.

"She takes after her momma," Zafirah said. "Those Hughes genes are strong."

Seungwoo hummed in agreement. "But she is still a Han. Yvette Han has a nice ring to it."

"Can you let her be a Hughes for five minutes? Relax until you sign those adoption papers," Zafirah told him, leaning back against his shoulder.

"Nope," Seungwoo told her. "I want the world to know she's my daughter and part of my family. That the both of you are part of the Han family."

Zafirah closed her eyes and relaxed fully, Yvette letting go of her nipple and yawning. "If that's your way of proposing, you better ask me properly in a year. All I want to do think about right now is how good this nap is about to be. Childbirth is the most tiring thing I have ever gone through."

"Well now you know what to expect next time."

Zafirah's eyes shot open and she looked up at her boyfriend like he had lost his mind. "Nigga, don't make me kick you out of this bed."


	27. Epilogue

****

**One Year Later**

"Happy birthday dear Yvette! Happy birthday to you!"

Everybody clapped when the song ended and Yvette clapped along with them, laughing and screaming happily. I couldn't help but smile at my baby girl who was having the time of her life.

I brought out the miniature cake Zenobia had made just for the birthday girl and put it in front of her. Immediately, she gasped animatedly and dug her fist into the pink and yellow frosting. We all laughed as she shoved it into her mouth and continued to scream happily.

"That is your child," Zabrina said. "I don't know anyone else who can get as excited about cake as you."

"We know what we like," I retorted and Zabrina rolled her eyes.

"Are you sure that's not Seungwoo's baby," Jasmine walked over to us. "I swear she has his eyes."

Now that her facial features had actually developed, it was clear that Zafirah had birthed her clone because there was not a hint of Devante in her. Everything screamed Zafirah Hughes.

But her eyes were always brought up. She had gorgeous dark brown, almond shaped eyes. They looked just like Seungwoo's, sharp gaze and all.

"Well if you feed someone enough, they start to look like you," Zabrina said. "And I know for a fact that Seungwoo will let that baby have anything she wants."

My sister was not wrong there. Yvette had that man wrapped around her little finger just as we predicted. Those first few months, I swear Seungwoo was more attentive to her crying than me. He would be up before me when she cried more times than I would like to admit. And she never ran out of clothes because he was always buying her new outfits. Then when she was able to point at things she wanted, he was buying toys almost every other day.

This all on top of her doting grandparents, aunties and uncles, and godparents who were also determined to spoil her rotten. I had never had to put my foot down so hard before.

"You know he's been claiming her since the womb so whenever he hears the eyes comment, his ego grows about ten more sizes," I told him.

"I still remember how happy he was when the adoption was finalized," Jasmine said.

That was one of the happiest times of Seungwoo's life. It wasn't hard getting Devante to surrender his parental rights since he didn't want any part of Yvette's life. The adoption process was definitely a process, but once it was finished and finalized...

Seungwoo picked Yvette out of her chair, nothing left but crumbs and a bit of frosting. She reached at his cheek with her sticky, cake covered hand and he let her place her hand on it. Yvette giggled happily and Seungwoo's smile lit up at her. I swear I felt my heart swell at the sight.

"He was always her dad, it being put on paper was just the icing on the cake," I told them.

The man in question carried Yvette over to us, sporting a bright pink and yellow frosting handprint on his face. "I think it's time for the birthday girl to get cleaned up," he said.

"And you too," I giggled. "Let's get you two all fresh and clean again."

I laid one last kiss on Yvette's cheek before she left with Zabrina, waving until I couldn't see her anymore. She was going to be staying the night with Zabrina and her cousins, her first night away from home. And on her first birthday no less.

"What if she starts crying in the middle of the night because she misses us?" I asked Seungwoo. "Or she can't even get to sleep? Did we pack her elephant?"

"She'll be fine," he told me, leading me away from the door and to our balcony. The night sky was absolutely breathtaking. "You know this is the first night that we'll be alone since she was born."

I nodded. "It's been a full year since we've been alone."

"A year. Remember what you told me after Yvette was born?" Seungwoo asked, putting his hands around my waist and pulling me closer.

I thought about it and narrowed my eyes at my boyfriend. "Seungwoo, if you're implying that you want to get me pregnant tonight, I'm beating your ass."

He rolled his eyes and reached down to kiss me. It was so intense, tingles shot down to my toes and all the air was sucked out of my lungs. He pulled away, making me want to chase after him. We hadn't done anything (and I mean _anything)_ since Yvette was born and I just about gave up on having sex ever again. How could we when we were tired half the time and the other half we were at the beck and call of a baby that was making us tired.

"I was referring to the other thing you told me," he said before letting go of me and dropping to one knee.

I knew my mouth was wide open, but I couldn't bring myself to close it. I couldn't even move, watching him reach into his pocket and pull out a black velvet box. _If this nigga opens this box and it is earrings, I'm leaving him._ He opened and I swear my heart jumped up to my throat, looking at the diamond ring.

"When I said I wanted the world to know that you were part of the Han family, that there you were the only one for me, that a world where the two of us were not together didn't exist, I meant it. Zafirah, I've been in love with you for 15 years and I've wanted to marry you for just as long. Will you have me?"

I looked into his eyes and I could see he was trying not to cry which made me want to cry even more. There was no other man I had loved more than the one in front of me. Before him, I was never sure about the marriage thing. I always thought it would happen when it happened, but none of the men I was with sparked that desire in me.

Only Seungwoo.

"Yes," I told him. He broke into a big smile and I leaned down to throw my arms around him, kissing him as deep as I could to relay all of my emotions. All the happiness, the excitement, the love.

He may have a crazy mother, I may have annoying ass siblings, and we might both be idiots for a good portion of any given day, but it was perfect. We were getting married!

"I love you," I told him, breaking away from the kiss. "I love you so much."

"I love you too," he responded, reaching back to pull me into another kiss.

This deserved a celebration.

I looked at myself in the mirror and had to give myself props. Who would have thought this baddie had a whole ass 1 year old? Even my titties were still looking okay after having the life drained from them.

I walked out of the bathroom, where Seungwoo was lounging on the bed in just his underwear. His eyes widened and I saw his tongue swipe across his bottom lip.

"I found the matching bra," I told him.

Within a second he was on me, mouth attached to mine, hands moving all over my body before finding purchase on my ass. He picked me up and all but threw me on the bed, not even waiting for me to recover before he crawled on top of me.

His lips met mine in a kiss that left me breathless and soaking wet. Seungwoo was a master at kissing, bringing an intensity that would blow your mind in the best ways possible. He knew exactly how to move his tongue and lips like it was a dance.

He pulled away, only to dive into my neck. I whimpered as he bit and suckled beneath my ear in a way that would only leave a bruise. While I was so preoccupied with his lips, I didn't notice his hand until it had dived into my panties and began to rub at my pearl.

I gasped, not ready for the rough sensation. "Seungwoo," I groaned.

"You're already so wet for me," he growled into my ear, only making me wetter with his gruff voice.

Just a few strokes had my legs trembling with pleasure. One of his fingers began to rub at my folds and I unconsciously grabbed at Seungwoo's back, my nails lightly scraping at his skin. He plunged it into my depths, making me cry out. Heat spread through my body as he thrusted his finger slowly into my pussy.

"More!" I cried, his sole finger not nearly enough to satisfy me. He added another finger and I groaned at the slight stretch. My own fingers couldn't compare to his long, adept ones. He crooked his fingers once and I shot up at the immense pleasure that just took over my entire body. He did it again, two times, three times, four until I was screaming and thrashing from my orgasm.

"Seungwoo," I moaned, barely able to look at him, already spent.

He gazed down at me hungrily, eyes scanning over my body like I was prey and he was the predator. "As much as I'd like to taste how sweet you are, if I don't fuck you right now, I might lose my mind."

I nodded, Honestly, I might have lost my mind too. He moved off me to take off his underwear and I peeled my panties and bra off, leaving me completely naked.

No matter how many times I saw Seungwoo's cock, each time made me shudder with want. It was the most perfect cock I had ever seen. The girth of it was enough to have my mouth watering for just a taste.

He walked over to the nightstand and pulled out a square packet from the bottom drawer. The condom was quickly rolled onto his length before he strode back over to me. Seungwoo looked down at me, surveying my naked body. I bit my lip and gulped.

"Ready?" he asked me.

"Yes," I told him. I had been ready for this since I was 17.

That was all he needed to hear before he took my legs and threw them over his shoulders, carefully lining up his length with my core.

My fingers grasped at the sheets of the bed as he slowly slid into me, stretching me. Almost two years without sex made it burn and I grimaced, trying to relax my body to become accustomed to it. I took a few deep breaths as Seungwoo waited for me to adjust.

When the burn began to make way for pleasure, I nodded my head. The thrusts started slow and shallow, a slight burn that felt delicious. Until the burn made way for the heat of desire.

"Faster," I moaned.

My fiancé relented, beginning to pick up speed that had the sheets balling up in my fist. His name stayed on tongue as he pounded into me, filling me up with each thrust and pushing me closer and closer to the edge.

"You're so tight," he groaned, eyes on mine. "Feel so good around me."

He pumped harder, reaching even deeper and just brushing ever so slightly against my spot. But it was enough to have me screaming his name. "Seungwoo! So good! Right there!"

He hit it again and again before he reached his hand between my thighs and rubbed at my clit. And then I was over the edge, gasping and whimpering at the gush of pleasure.

Seungwoo's cock began to twitch and he grunted, a warmth spilling into me.

The two of us laid there for a few minutes, catching our breaths. My body slowly came down from the high and I felt sweaty and a little sticky. Seungwoo finally moved out of me and stood up, taking the condom off and tying it before tossing it in the wastebasket.

I sat up on my elbows, looking at him. "Please tell me we have more condoms."

He smirked before coming over and kissing me one more time. "I told Zabrina to keep Yvette for the weekend. You won't be able to walk when I'm done with you."

"You might want to get to back to work then."

**A/N:** **Thank you to everyone who has read Daddy Material! Words cannot describe how happy and grateful I am to you all for sticking with me. This story has a special place in my heart because not only is it the first story I have posted, but it is the first story I have finished. And I could not have done it without you guys and your support.**

**Until next time!**


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